


A Twist of Fate

by svgurl410



Series: A Different Meeting [2]
Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Het, Developing Relationship, Episode Related, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-05
Updated: 2007-12-05
Packaged: 2020-03-02 10:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18808897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svgurl410/pseuds/svgurl410
Summary: follows “The World Shifts"; Clark sees Ollie again when he goes to drop off some papers for his mother. And is surprised when the blonde asks him out. But the Zoner isn’t quite gone and Oliver is not all that he seems.





	1. Chapter 1

**Title:** A Twist of Fate  
**Pairing/Characters:** Clark Kent/Oliver Queen, Chloe/Jimmy, Lex/Lana  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Disclaimer:** don't own anything  
**Warnings:** none  
**Spoilers:** through 6.04 "Arrow"  
**Summary:** follows “The World Shifts”; Clark sees Ollie again when he goes to drop off some papers for his mother. And is surprised when the blonde asks him out. But the Zoner isn’t quite gone and Oliver is not all that he seems.

My fanfic100 table is [here](http://svgurl.livejournal.com/39096.html).

Prompt #2 “Middles”

He met Chloe and was shocked to see a bunch of people already there, investigating.

Looking at Chloe for an explanation, he frowned when she just shrugged.

“Sorry,” she said. “They’d already organized a search party, and the police dogs from Granville will be here in another hour.”

So they didn’t have much time to do their own investigation. Too many officials were already there; Clark knew they had to be careful.

“Chloe, where exactly did you find the body?” Clark questioned. If they had a shortage of time, they had to get to work immediately.

“It was just up the road about a quarter mile,” Chloe answered.

“Ok,” Clark said and without another word and a burst of super speed, he ran toward the area. Looking around, he was startled when a voice came from behind him.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

Spinning, he saw a pretty brunette in a tan uniform.

“I’m sorry?” Clark said. Thinking up a quick lie, he said, “I’m . . . I’m with the search party.” He stuck out his hand. “Clark Kent.” _It’s not like anyone is going to check anyway, there’s so many people going around._

The woman shook his hand. “Gloria, park services. They find anything yet?”

“No, nothing,” Clark confessed. “Have you?”

“It’s a big forest,” Gloria stated, “Lots of green.”

Clark nodded. “You must feel isolated out here working all alone. There’s no one for miles.”

“No, it’s what I love about it,” she told him, flashing him a smile. She observed him. “We haven’t met before, have we?”

Clark grinned and couldn’t resist flirting a bit. “I think I’d remember.” He paused. “So you searched this whole area all by yourself?”

“Couple of times,” Gloria informed him. “I haven’t found anything that’s not supposed to be here.”

“One more search wouldn’t hurt,” Clark said casually. Switching to x-ray vision, he scanned the area and froze when he saw an outline of a body.

“I found him!” he yelled, rushing towards the body. “Go get help!”

“Clark,” he heard Chloe’s voice calling out for him. “Where are you?”

“Over here,” he said, over his shoulder. He was focusing on getting the man, who was underneath a bunch of vines out. Chloe made her way to his side.

“He’s alive,” Clark said and then touched the plants, pulling back shocked when the vines stung. “Ow!”

Opening his hands, he saw that there was blood.

“Oh my God,” Chloe gasped, “Clark . . . you’re bleeding.”

Instantly, the wounds disappeared, as quickly as they came. But Clark was puzzled . . . this was new for him. What was that plant?

They both backed away as they heard an ambulance coming, not wanting to answer questions. Somehow, they got the boy out and into the ambulance.

Chloe and Clark decided to follow them in Chloe’s car.

Reaching the hospital, they tracked the guy’s room. Jimmy joined them there and the trio snuck into the hospital room.

“Okay,” Chloe said, “We don’t have much time. His mom’s in the cafeteria.” Examining the guy in the hospital bed, she turned her attention the x-ray machine and her eyes widened. “Wow, this guy’s pretty messed up.”

“Not as bad as his girlfriend in the tree,” Jimmy commented. Watching the screen, he asked, “Hey, what are these things in his lungs?”

“Beats me,” Chloe said.

Jimmy pulled out his camera and snapped a few photos.

“Jimmy!” Chloe exclaimed. Clark wanted to smack his head. This guy was little to no use and he was really hindering their investigation.

“What?” Jimmy asked. “Look, we have to get this in the paper. We have to warn people.”

“We don’t even know what ‘it’ is yet,” Chloe reminded him.

“She’s right,” Clark agreed, getting a word in. “A picture of some weird x-ray isn’t exactly page-one material.”

“Yeah, well, maybe we’d have a better picture if I was with you guys when you found him,” Jimmy said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“Okay,” Chloe said, trying to intervene, “That was my call. You’re just so much more at home on the streets of Metropolis. I know the woods freak you out.”

“No, no, you know what freaks me out?” Jimmy said, “Is my girl traipsing through a forest when something like _that_ can happen.”

Clark had to refrain from laughing. _His girl?_

“Your girl?” Chloe echoed.

Jimmy flushed. “I mean, aren’t you?”

 _Oh, God, here we go . . . and today on Days of Our Lives, we have the Chloe-Jimmy saga._

“Guys,” Clark interrupted, “this really isn’t the time.” It was an awkward place, where he stood, and he really did not want to be in the middle of their love drama.

Thankfully, Jimmy did seem to have some sense. “Yeah, you’re right, CK. I got to go take care of something.” Turning to Chloe, he asked, “So we’ll talk later when we’re alone?”

“Okay,” Chloe agreed and smiled as Jimmy left.

“Is he always that fired up?” Clark asked.

“You should see him when he’s on his 10th cup of house-drip,” Chloe stated, with an affectionate smile. She laughed to herself and Clark felt warm that her best friend was truly happy.

“How are your hands?” Chloe asked suddenly.

“Healed,” Clark said, flexing them to prove his point.

“Which begs the obvious question since not even Obi-Wan’s lightsaber can ginsu your superdermis,” Chloe stated, “How did a little vine cut through it?”

“I don’t know,” Clark said slowly. “But I didn’t get weak, so it’s not Kryptonite.”

“Well, I sent a cutting of the vine to my botany professor at Met U,” Chloe told him. “If it’s not meteor rock, what else could it be?”

“You know, Lone Pine Ridge goes right up against the Luthor estate,” Clark said thoughtfully. “There’s a greenhouse that runs right near the property line. That’d be a good place to start.”

Chloe didn’t look pleased. “Okay, call me the advocate of the devil, Clark, but don’t you think that pointing the pitchfork at Lex is a little bit of a stretch?”

Clark met her eyes. _How can she defend Lex?_ The Luthors were practically behind ever single disaster that went around in this town, besides the weekly meteor freaks.

“He had his hands on the Kryptonian ship,” Clark reminded her. “He was possessed by Zod. He nearly _destroyed_ this planet. If the horns fit . . .”

“Okay fine,” Chloe relented, “I’m just saying you might want to check your personals at the door.”

“Don’t worry Chloe,” he assured her. “I’m going there strictly for business . . . what Lana and Lex do in their free time doesn’t bother me.”

“If you say so,” Chloe said.

“I have to go,” Clark told her. “I’ll keep you updated.”

“Good luck,” Chloe said. Giving her a nod, he left the hospital, trying not to get too much attention as he left. Finding a private place, he supersped to the mansion and located the greenhouse with little problem.

He walked around the several plants, his eye catching on one particular one.

“Seed,” he murmured.

“You’ve always had an eye for beauty,” a voice came from his left. Looking up, he saw Lex. _Damn . . . caught in the act._ What was Lex going to say?

“Its Latin name, formositas falsus,” Lex explained, pointing to the flower. “‘Beauty that belies a dark nature’.” Apparently, he was going to explain what the plant was. Ok, at least he didn’t call security.

“So, even your plants have hidden agendas,” Clark commented.

“Well, I guess it all comes down to survival of the fittest,” Lex said. “Doesn’t it?”

“A strange vine has cropped up over the ridge at Lone Pine,” Clark said slowly. “It’s attacking people.”

He decided it was pointless making chitchat. Lex and he were well past that need to be cordial stage. Now he had to find answers. Time was not on their side. One girl had already died and a boy was in critical stage. They needed to find a solution before more people got hurt.

“And naturally, you came to my little shop of horrors to foil my ingenious plot to repopulate the planet with vegetation,” Lex said sarcastically. He smirked. “Sorry, Clark. I’m all out of evil. Lana must be a calming influence on me.”

Clark’s eyes narrowed. He promised himself he wouldn’t bring up their relationship but Lex had done it so now, as far as he was concerned, it was fair game.

“She’s never gonna fit in your world, Lex,” Clark said coldly.

“Unlike you, I’m willing to do whatever it takes so she does,” Lex retorted.

“You can keep fooling yourself that you’ve changed, but the closer you get to Lana, the closer she is to finding out who you really are,” Clark countered.

Lex just stared at him, with an icy expression on his face. “The days of you showing up unannounced in my home are over,” he said stiffly. “You’re not welcome here. You found your way in, you can find your way out.”

Pressing his lips together, Clark decided it was just best to comply. Without a glance backwards, he exited the greenhouse and when he was a safe distance away, he sped home.

Entering the farm, he looked around. He wanted to warn his mother to be careful at that party.

“Clark,” his mother said, capturing his attention as she entered from the living room. “Honey, is everything okay?”

“There’s a bit of a situation,” Clark explained, He briefly described what was going and Martha’s eyes widened.

“Are you okay?” she questioned.

“I’m fine,” he said, “Just be careful at that party tonight, okay?”

She nodded. “Don’t worry about me . . . this plant can hurt you. I know you want to find out the origins but do it safely.”

He agreed. “How was your meeting?”

“It was very successful,” his mom replied. “He’s agreeing to back me.”

“Congratulations,” Clark told her.

“I was just about to go to Metropolis right now,” Martha said. Seeing his quizzical look, she added, “There were these papers that I meant to give him and I forgot . . .”

“I am going to Metropolis right now,” Clark said. “I can give them to him.” _No, what are you thinking? You don’t want to see him!_

Martha smiled gratefully, oblivious to his thoughts. “That would be wonderful.” She handed him the folder. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, “Have fun at the party.”

“Thanks,” she said, “Be careful with your investigation and tell Chloe I said hi.” He agreed and left.

Getting to the Clock Tower, where Oliver resided, was easy. But getting to Oliver proved to be more difficult.

“Look,” he told Oliver’s assistant, “I just need to give him some papers . . . I’m Martha Kent’s son . . . I’m sure it will be fine.”

Scanning the area, he found where Oliver would be and walked toward him, the assistant at his heels.

“Sir, you cannot go in there,” she said, as he made his way into the room.

“Mr. Queen,” she stammered as they came across Oliver, whose body was positioned in a perfect headstand. “He doesn’t have an appointment and he wasn’t listening.”

Seeing Clark, Oliver tipped back on his feet. “It’s okay,” he said, “’He can stay.” The assistant nodded and left.

Clark was having a hard time breathing because Oliver was shirtless and he was trying really hard not to stare. But the man was sculpted and the way the sweat was glistening off his muscles made Clark need water himself.

“I guess I underestimated the power of yoga,” Clark joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I find the focus benefits my work,” Oliver told him.

“That’s cool,” Clark said. He shifted nervously. “My mom forgot to give you these papers . . . she was going to do it but I told her I would make sure you get them.”

Oliver took the folder from his hand, their fingers brushing, and Clark felt a shiver run up his spine.

“Thank you, Clark,” he said. “I hope you didn’t go out of your way.”

“Not at all, Mr. Queen,” he replied. “I was in the area anyway.”

“Please, call me, Oliver,” Oliver said kindly.

“Okay . . . Oliver,” Clark said, smiling warmly.

“I assume we’ll be seeing each other more often,” Oliver said casually. “I’m sure you’ve heard I’m supporting your mother?”

“Yes, I did,” Clark said, “You made a good decision . . .”

“That I did,” Oliver agreed. “She’s an extremely talented woman . . . I’m sure she will go far. It’s rare treat to see someone that is so politically savvy to have a good set of morals too.”

“That’s my mom,” Clark said, unable to hide the pride from his voice.

“She raised a pretty incredible son too,” Oliver noted. “So I commend her.”

“You hardly know me,” Clark pointed out.

“I am a good judge of character, Clark,” Oliver told him. He smiled. “So are you going to the ball tonight?”

“No, I’m not,” Clark said honestly.

Oliver stared at him intently. “Clark, forgive my forwardness, but I’m going to the ball tonight and due to my busy schedule, I’ve found I’m without a date.”

Clark’s heart jumped. “What are you saying?”

“I’m asking for the pleasure of your company tonight,” Oliver said directly.

“You’re asking me out?” Clark stammered, “Like . . . on a date?”

“I suppose you could call this a date,” Oliver said smoothly. “If that is what you want to call it. Otherwise, we can just say it is two friends having a pleasant evening.”

Clark’s stomach clenched. “Mr. Queen . . . I mean, Oliver . . . I don’t mean to offend you but I think it’s best that you find someone else.”

Oliver’s face fell slightly. “I guess I was a bit presumptuous in my offer.”

“It’s not that,” Clark said quickly. “It’s just . . . I don’t think my being at Lex’s mansion would be a good idea . . . we have a history.”

“You have a history with Lex Luthor?” Oliver questioned.

“We were friends,” Clark said vaguely.

“You _were_ friends?” Oliver asked, emphasizing the past tense in his answer.

“Yes, the friendship ended on a bad note,” Clark said, “And that’s really all I’m saying. I’m sure you’ve heard of Lana Lang?”

“The papers call her his new girlfriend,” Oliver remembered,

“She’s my ex,” Clark said. He didn’t know why he was telling Oliver this but he desperately wanted the blonde to understand why he couldn’t accompany him to the ball.

 _You could just add you’re straight._ But ever since he met Oliver that morning, he was questioning his own sexuality. He had only ever been with women but he found he was unable to deny his attraction to the man standing in front of him.

Oliver nodded in understanding. “That sounds dramatic . . . I can see why you don’t want to face them.”

After a small pause, he added, “I have to say though, I don’t have the best history with Lex myself. This will really be a good cause.” Oliver smiled winningly and Clark found himself melting. “It may be good for you . . . to show them that you’ve moved on.”

“With you?” Clark said, a teasing lilt to his voice. “I have to be honest with you . . . I’ve never been with another man.”

“Also explains your reluctance,” Oliver said. “We don’t have to call this a date, Clark . . . we can just be two people getting to know one another.” And then he hastily added, “As friends, of course.”

“I don’t have a costume,” Clark said, looking for excuses.

“You don’t have a costume,” Oliver repeated. “Hmm . . .” He went and pulled out a box and handed it to Clark.

“The yoga doesn’t give you psychic abilities does it?” Clark joked. Opening the box slowly, he was stunned to see a velvet red costume.

“It’s even in my size,” Clark noted. He met Oliver’s gaze. “Been rummaging through my drawers?”

“I have a good eye for sizing people up,” Oliver told him. “Got any more excuses for me?”

“None,” Clark said. Truth be told, he wanted to say ‘yes’ from the start.

“Can I take that as a yes or do you plan to toy around with my mind a little more?” Oliver asked, a glint in his eyes to show he was only teasing.

“You can take that as a yes,” Clark said. “But we’re going as friends . . . nothing more.”

“I can accept that,” Oliver said mischievously. “I guess I will pick you up soon then . . . at the farm?”

“Sounds good,” Clark said. “I have to finish up a few things first . . .”

“I will come get you up in an hour,” Oliver said, “Is that enough time?”

“It should be,” Clark said. “See you then?”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Oliver replied.

Taking the box with him, he waved. “Bye, Oliver.”

“Bye, Clark,” Oliver responded.

Making his way out of the penthouse, Clark couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. And a lot nervous. He was gong to show up to Lex’s party, on Oliver’s arm. What would everyone say?

Dashing home, he stored the costume and then rushed back at top speed to the hospital. He had plans for the evening but right now, he had a duty to fulfill. 


	2. Chapter 2

  
Chloe was still lurking around the hospital when he returned.

“Hey,” she said, “What took you so long?”

“I got held up,” he said, purposely remaining vague. He’d tell her about the encounter with Oliver later. There were more important issues to focus on at the moment.

“Did you find anything?” Chloe questioned.

“Nothing at the Luthor end,” Clark told her. “How about you?”

“Well, I managed to dig up some information,” Chloe said, “It turns out you were right. The pods inside his stomach are seeds. He’s going into surgery in an hour.”

“Anything from your professor friend?” Clark asked.

“He was unable to identify the species,” Chloe replied, “But he could break down the DNA, and it’s foreign . . . to the planet Earth, which explains why it could cut you.”

“It’s alien?” Clark said, stunned. “How did it get here?”

“I don’t know,” Chloe responded, “But while it can’t gestate in our soil, the chemistry of the human body creates a perfect potting mix.”

Clark was about to say something but loud screaming caught their attention. A nurse was running out of the boy’s room.

“Find his mother,” the nurse was saying frantically, “I’m issuing a code red.”

Clark and Chloe peeked into the room and Clark was horrified at what he saw. There were vines everywhere, originating at the boy’s stomach.

“Oh my god,” Chloe said.

Clark felt sick. “We have to stop it.”

“Not it, Clark,” Chloe corrected, “Her. The plant’s gynoecious . . . it has a sex . . . female.”

“It needed a male to reproduce,” Clark concluded, “Which is why the girlfriend was killed so quickly.”

A woman with a stretcher was rushing through. “Coming through,” she said, “Park ranger up at Lone Pine. Hunter found her this morning.”

“Excuse me,” Clark said, making his way to her, “I think I can identify her.” They unzipped the bag and Clark frowned. “I’m sorry, there’s been a mistake. That’s not the park ranger.”

“Selena Adams, 28,” The medical technician read, “She went missing last week. Only female ranger in the county.”

Clark watched as they pushed past him and he met Chloe’s eyes, the truth dawning on him.

“Gloria.”

Telling Chloe he had to leave, he went straight back to the wood, eyes scanning for the brunette, who he knew for certain was behind this.

“Gloria!” he called out.

He heard a noise and he spun to see her standing behind him.

“I was hoping we’d meet again,” she said, smiling.

“What are you?” Clark demanded.

“I’m just a girl that loves nature,” Gloria told him.

“You’re not human,” Clark hissed, “You’re not even from this planet.”

“No,” Gloria conceded, “But I think I’m gonna like it here.”

“Wherever you’re from, go back . . . _now_!” Clark ordered.

“I can’t,” Gloria told him. “My world is gone.” She sighed. “It was paradise. It was lush and green and full of life. But towers of steel replaced the forest, upsetting the balance of nature. So I tried to correct it?”

“At the cost of how many lives?” Clark questioned angrily.

She looked at him. “They didn’t understand me, either. They branded me a criminal. They imprisoned me in a desolate wasteland where the sun never set and nothing ever grows.”

Clark’s eyes grew wide. “The Phantom Zone.”

“I knew I’d seen you before,” Gloria said, “You’re the Kryptonian that opened the gateway.”

“How do you know that?” Clark asked. He certainly had never seen her before.

“Because I was there,” Gloria explained. “The savages were attacking a girl.”

“Raya,” he said, his stomach sinking at the thought of the woman who had sacrificed her life to protect him.

“And you touched the gateway and it all went white,” Gloria remembered, completely oblivious to his guilt. She smirked. “Looks like I’m not the only one that doesn’t belong.”

“You could learnt to adapt,” Clark said pointedly. “Like I did.”

“What do you think I’m doing?” Gloria questioned. “There’s a party nearby full of eligible suitors waiting for me to spread my beauty.” She took a deep breath. “Can you smell them?”

_The party._ Oh, God, he was running out time and he was supposed to meet Oliver soon.

“You have to stop!” Clark told her. He couldn’t let her get to that party.

“Says who?” Gloria asked. A whip cracked and Clark found himself pinned to a tree, vines surrounding him quickly.

“I can’t change my nature,” Gloria stated. “And no one else will ever make me again.” Clark choked, the vines causing him extreme pain.

With a flash, Gloria was gone, leaving Clark. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jimmy’s body wrapped in vines. _Oh no, not Jimmy too._

__

__

He tried to struggle but found it impossible to escape. Pain was coursing through his veins and he could barely breathe.

_Somebody save me_ , he thought, hoping that Chloe would find him soon.

Oliver Queen adjusted his costume once more as he exited the car, making his way to the front door of the Kent Farm. He knew Clark said they were going to just go as friends but it didn’t mean he was not going to try to impress the brunette. Maybe Clark would even change his mind about their arrangement.

When Lois Lane opened the door, he had been taken aback by her beauty. But the minute Clark Kent showed up, he was gone. He had been worried that he wouldn’t get to meet Senator Kent after all but was quite amused at being mistaken for a courier. Then, much to his shock, a man had come out of nowhere and he _knew_ who he was.

Then he took a good look at him. Oliver never believed in love at first sight but at that moment, he really believed.

An Adonis figure with bright emerald eyes framed by the longest lashes he had ever seen. When the man smiled, Oliver forgot how to breathe. To find out that he was Martha Kent’s son was another stunning fact.

He knew that Senator Kent had a son but his perceptions of farm boys didn’t make him think much of the boy. With an almost 7-year gap separating them, Oliver thought he could care less. Then he saw him and his whole world shifted. This was no ordinary farm boy.

No, Clark Kent and ordinary were as far apart as the Sun and Pluto. When Lois called him “Smallville” he wanted to shake her and ask her if she had her eyes checked. There was nothing _small_ about that man. And what made it even better was he was more than just looks. Though he barely knew him, he was very sweet and Oliver just wanted to know all about him.

Now he would get his chance. Knocking at the door, he waited with bated breath. To his surprise, Lois opened the door.

Seeing him, her eyes widened. “Mr. Queen.”

“Ms Lane, we have to stop meeting like this,” he teased.

She blushed lightly. “Come on in, Mr. Queen.” He followed her inside.

“If you’re looking for Mrs. Kent, she left for the party already,” Lois told him. She glanced at him. “And from the way you’re dressed, I would think you’re going there too.” She smirked. “Unless you parade as Robin Hood on a regular basis.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m actually looking for Clark . . . we’re going together.”

Lois smiled. “Are you now? I _knew_ it.” She looked smug. “I love being right.”

“Right about what?” Oliver questioned.

“I totally called you were bisexual,” Lois said. “Smallville was in denial but I saw you checking him out.”

“Actually, we’re going to the ball as friends,” Oliver said.

“Was that your decision or his?” Lois retorted. “Something tells me if it was up to you, he’d be your date.”

“That’s one point of view,” Oliver said lightly, not confirming or denying her statements.

“Don’t worry,” she assured him, “He’ll come around. I don’t think he’s used to being attracted to a man before . . . it scares him. Just give him some time.”

“Good advice,” Oliver noted. “Is he around though?”

She frowned. “I just got here . . . I didn’t hear anyone when I came in. Hold on.”

He watched her disappear up the stairs and come down a few minutes later. “Are you sure you were supposed to meet here?”

“Yeah,” Oliver replied. “Is he not in?”

“No,” Lois told him. “There’s a box on the bed but he’s nowhere in sight.”

“I told him an hour,” Oliver said, his stomach sinking. Had Clark stood him up?

Seeing his expression, Lois hastily said, “I’ll call him on his phone . . . this is definitely not typical Clark behavior, I can assure you.”

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. Placing the phone to her ear, he saw pause and then her face paled. Closing her phone, she looked at him apologetically.

“He’s not picking up,” she said sadly.

“Oh.”

Oliver felt stupid . . . this was something he was not used to happening. He should’ve known it was too perfect, that _Clark_ was too perfect. Obviously, he had scared the brunette away.

“Look, whatever Clark is doing, I’m sure he has a good reason,” Lois said. He wanted to laugh at her attempts to diffuse the situation.

“You don’t have to defend him, Ms Lane,” Oliver told her, disappointment welling in his heart. _Don’t be silly, Queen. It was just one evening . . . and he’s just another guy. Forget about him._

Lois pursed her lips. “I know, but even though I do tease him, he’s a good man . . . it just seems out of character for Clark.”

“Out of character or not,” Oliver said, “It looks like he’s a no-show.”

“Sorry,” Lois offered. “I guess not . . .” She shrugged. “I wish there was something I could do to help you out.”

Oliver stared at her thoughtfully. “You know, if you want to do help out, you can do me a favor.”

“A favor?” she echoed. “What kind of favor?”

“It seems that I am, yet again, without a date,” Oliver said slowly. “If you didn’t have any plans this evening . . .”

“Mr. Queen, considering your obvious attraction to my best friend, I don’t think it would be a good idea,” Lois told him.

“Look, I don’t want to miss the party, as it is really a good cause,” Oliver responded. “But showing up alone would not be good for my image. So what do you say? We can go as friends.”

She bit her lip, seeming conflicted. “I don’t have a costume.”

“I’m sure I can have one delivered to your place within the hour,” he assured her. “We’ll just be fashionably late to the party.”

“Okay,” Lois agreed. “But only because I feel guilty for mistaking you for a courier . . .” She grinned wickedly. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about Clark during that time.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Oliver said. He really wished that it was Clark he was exchanging banter with but Lois seemed like she would be a good friend.

Just a friend, because any attraction he had for her died and moved to Clark. Too bad the farm boy had gone MIA.

However, he managed to get the costume for Lois in record time. Since he knew he was going as Robin Hood, he already had a Maid Marian costume prepared. It was for Clark that he had a special Will Scarlet one made. Too bad, he never would get the chance to see him in it.

In an hour, they were at the party, making their rounds. The All-American Rejects were the live entertainment and Oliver found that Lois was good company. She was snarky, intelligent and if he hadn’t met Clark, he probably would’ve been interested in pursuing a relationship. It was a shame he had met Clark and now all he could think of was the brunette with the beautiful green eyes.

Lois engaged him in stories of Clark and her and Oliver was amused with all the strange things that had gone on in Smallville. _This is definitely not a regular town._

“Tell me about yourself,” Lois said suddenly. “I have to make sure you’re appropriate for Clark.”

“I didn’t realize Clark needs a baby sitter,” Oliver joked. “Do you screen all the people that he dates?”

Lois scoffed. “I should. It would be better for him.”

Oliver laughed. “What do you want to know?”

“Let’s see,” Lois said slowly. “How about a bit of background? Is your fortune the do-it yourself, steal-from-the-rich kind, or it is silver-plattered like our host’s?”

“It belonged to my parents,” Oliver told her. “And I, uh . . . I inherited when they died.”

Lois clearly felt embarrassed for accidentally delving into personal matters. She smiled at him, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

“Well, I wasn’t going to give it you,” Lois stated, “But the tights . . . you’re totally pulling it off.”

“You should see him a tutu,” a voice interrupted them. Both turned to the direction of the sound, the noise coming in the form of Lex Luthor, dressed as Marc Anthony, with none other than the woman he recognized to be Lana Lang at his side, in a Cleopatra costume.

“Lex Luthor,” Oliver greeted his once schoolmate,” With a girl he doesn’t have to inflate.”

Lex forced a laugh. “Lana Lang, Oliver Queen. We went to boarding school together.”

“Talked to any of the old gang lately?” Oliver asked, unable to resist.

“Enjoy the party,” Lex said stiffly.

“I always do,” Oliver said, as Lex and Lana walked away.

“So I take it the two of you weren’t buddies,” Lois commented.

“Not in the least,” Oliver agreed. “We have an, unpleasant history, so you can say.”

“Another thing you and Smallville have in common,” Lois told him.

“Why do you call him that?” Oliver asked curiously. “Smallville?”

“I don’t know,” Lois admitted. “He seems to represent everything about this town . . . or at least what I thought the town was. Before I started experiences its true oddities.” She shrugged. “Besides, he doesn’t mind the nickname . . . too much anyway.”

He laughed. “You two have an interesting relationship, don’t you?”

“You can say that,” Lois replied. She spotted someone, “Oh, there’s Mrs. Kent. Come on.” He followed her to greet the Senator.

“Hi Mrs. Kent,” Lois said happily.

“Hello Lois,” Martha replied. Seeing Oliver, she added, “It’s nice to see you again Mr. Queen. I didn’t expect the two of you to show up together.”

“Yes, well, Lois was doing me a favor,” Oliver told her. _Especially since your son ditched me._ But he didn’t say that part aloud. He didn’t know how she would feel about him making a move on her son.

“Enjoying the party?” Martha asked.

“It’s been interesting,” Lois stated. Oliver nodded, agreeing with her.

He spoke pleasantly with both of them, but in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but wonder what Clark was doing at that moment and where he was.

Chloe Sullivan was wondering the same thing as she ran through the forest, frightened for the safety of her best friend.

“Clark!” she screamed, “Clark, I can’t find you on my own. You have to help me! Where are you? Clark!”

A strained voice called her name. “Chloe.” She turned towards the sound and saw Clark hanging on a tree, vines covering him.

“Chloe,” he said again weakly.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped. “Clark!” Using her tazer, she touched the vines, all dying immediately once the electricity hit.

Clark fell and she tried her best to hold on to him. _Please be okay._

“Come on, Clark,” she said, shaking him. “Come back. This girl can’t lose you twice in one month.”

Clark groaned and slowly, stood up. _Thank you, God._

“Are you okay?” Chloe asked frantically.

“I will be in a second,” Clark told her, steadying himself. “How’d you kill it?”

“Biology 101,” Chloe answered. “Electricity denatures enzymes.”

Clark thanked the heavens that his best friend was so intelligent. Otherwise, he would’ve been plant food.

Then he remembered what he saw earlier. “We have to help Jimmy.”

“Jimmy?” Chloe repeated.

“He’s over there,” Clark said, pointing to where he saw the body. “Go find him. Gloria is headed to the mansion.”

“Go,” Chloe said, pushing him, “I’ll get help for Jimmy. Go!”

Clark didn’t waste a second and sped at full speed toward the mansion. He had a feeling where Gloria would be.

As expected, he found her in the greenhouse, with some man.

“So,” the man said, “Tarzan and park rangers both love the wild.”

“And swinging on vines,” Gloria told him seductively. He knew where this was going.

“Ride’s over!” Clark declared.

“Who the hell are you?” the man questioned angrily, obviously upset being interrupted.

“The gardener,” Clark snapped, “Get out!” The man ran away upon hearing his tone, leaving him alone with Gloria.

“Kryptonians,” Gloria said, shaking her head. “Always so hard and cold.”

“You can’t go home,” Clark said, “I can’t let you stay. What are we gonna go?”

“We’ll have to let nature decide,” Gloria said, pinning him to the wall with a vine.

He choked, struggling. “You saved me from the Phantom Zone, Clark,” she said sadly. “I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

Desperately, he looked around. Aiming his heat vision at the lights, he watched as it fell on her. The fire set off the sprinklers, the combination destroying Gloria and freeing him.

Standing up straight, now soaked, he looked sadly at the scene. Exiting the greenhouse, he regretted what he had to do. But to protect the world, he had to kill. That didn’t make it any easier though.

_Oliver._ Oh, God, he had stood up the blonde. He hadn’t meant to . . . it wasn’t his fault he was tied up, literally, when they were supposed to meet. Such was his life . . . he had a duty to protect the world . . . relationships would never fit into his world.

Using his x-ray vision, he scanned the party until he fell on Oliver’s familiar figure. He was there . . . with Lois. Wow, he didn’t see that one coming.

At least the man wasn’t alone. Clark smiled sadly at his missed opportunity, before speeding back to the farm.

His obligations always took priority, would always take priority, over his heart. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have regrets over what might’ve been. 


	3. Chapter 3

  
As the party died down, Oliver and Lois left, Oliver dropping by her apartment.

“Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of your company this evening,” Oliver said. “I had fun.”

“Me too,” Lois replied, “My verdict is that you’re a good guy. I think we should be friends.”

“Glad to know you approve,” he retorted with a grin. “Friendship sounds nice . . .”

Lois seemed pleased. “And don’t give up on Smallville just yet . . .”

“Lois, you act as if we’re in a relationship,” Oliver stated. Over the course of the evening, they dropped the formalities and now they were Lois and Ollie. “I just asked him to go to the ball with me and even that would’ve been as friends.”

“But it left room for more, potentially,” Lois argued. “Look, I can’t tell you what to do . . . but just consider it. Besides, I never thought Oliver Queen would be a quitter.”

“I’m not a quitter,” Oliver protested.

“Then prove it,” Lois challenged. “Find out why he stood you up. Then again, if I know Clark, he’s already beating himself up over it. I’m sure you’ll have a visitor soon enough.”

“Do you always give out advice to those who don’t need it?” Oliver questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Only to people I like,” Lois teased.

“Glad to be on that list,” Oliver joked. They smiled at each other. Oliver had never had a real female friend before but something told him that with Lois, it was definitely going to be an interesting experience. Now if he could just snag Clark . . .

“Good night, Ollie,” Lois said.

“Good night, Lois,” Oliver replied. After making sure she was inside, he stepped into his car and drove back to his penthouse. Part of him wanted to go the farm but he knew it would be inappropriate at this late hour. Besides, he didn’t want to look desperate, because really, he wasn’t. It was just he liked knowing things and not having answers bothered him.

_Forget about him, Queen. If he doesn’t want you, it’s his loss._ Trying to focus on the road when his thoughts were on a certain brunette was difficult but somehow, he managed to arrive back home safely.

Pushing away thoughts of Clark and the missed date, he made his way to the large clock, which really was a secret door. Opening it, he grinned.

For most, the night may be over but for him . . . it was just beginning.

Bouncing a ball against the wall, Clark Kent was still one of the few wide-awake. He couldn’t sleep and was sitting in his loft. His mom had come in a little while prior and after a quick good night, she had headed off to bed.

And he was still awake. The costume box sat next to him and he had finally really looked at it when he returned home. It was absolutely beautiful and he felt a little disappointed he couldn’t wear it. A note attached to the costume with the simple words “You look good in red”. Remembering the red t-shirt he had been wearing when they met, he blushed.

Knowing the mythos of Robin Hood, he recognized the Will Scarlet outfit. Did that mean Oliver was Robin Hood? He sighed and cursed the Zoner for what felt like the hundredth time.

More than that, he felt guilty at standing Oliver up. The blonde must think him to be so rude. _And why do you care about what Oliver thinks?_

Well, he cared because Oliver was right in saying they would be seeing each other again and he didn’t want things to be awkward. Not to mention that he was raised in a family that preached morals . . . this was downright rude.

At least that was what he tried to convince himself. There were deeper reasons he just didn’t want to think of and preferred to remain in denial about.

_Tomorrow, tomorrow, I’ll go and apologize._ It would only be polite. And he’d return the costume, of course. He wouldn’t feel right keeping it.

Pleased with his decisions, he went to bed and fell asleep quickly. The morning, however, brought new fears.

How was he supposed to talk to Oliver anyway? What could he say? He couldn’t exactly tell him about the Zoners. Clark frowned . . . but he knew he had to at least get an apology out. Oliver deserved that much.

Having a quick breakfast, he proceeded to do his chores and he knew he was going purposely slower than usual when completing them. Really, he knew he was stalling on seeing Oliver but he had to get something prepared before he went over there. And at the moment, he had nothing.

Fortunately for him, his mother was not around to witness his strange behavior. He wasn’t quite ready to tell her with his encounters with Oliver or about his newfound sexuality.

Besides, he didn’t exactly know whether it would be polite to just barge in again. Oliver may be busy but he didn’t know really want to call. They needed to have this discussion face to face.

Then again, it was the weekend so there was a high probability Oliver might be free. Finishing up his chores, he had lunch and took a quick shower. He was done pushing it off . . . he would just deal with whatever happened.

Making sure he grabbed the costume, he sped to Metropolis. Reaching the Clock Tower, he took a deep breath and entered the elevator. It was the longest minute of his life and he was relieved when the familiar ding announced he had reached. Opening the gate, he stepped into the room, looking around cautiously.

“Clark,” a voice came from his left, startling him. Turning toward the sound, he saw Oliver entering from the balcony. “I was expecting you but I didn’t think it would be so soon.”

“I hope I’ve not come at a bad time,” Clark said slowly.

“Not at all,” Oliver assured him. “Please, have a seat.” Nodding, he sat down on one of the couches.

“Can I get you anything?” Oliver asked.

“I’m fine,” Clark replied.

Oliver took a seat across from him. “So what can I do for you?”

“I wanted to apologize,” Clark told him. “For not being there last night.”

“Dare I ask for an explanation?” Oliver quizzed. “I was a little surprised at your lack of notice, Clark. To be honest, I was a little fearful I frightened you off.”

“I know, I wasn’t thinking,” Clark said remorsefully. “And no, you definitely did not scare me off. I was . . . tied up.” And wasn’t that as close to the truth as he could ever get.

“I would’ve appreciated that you told me,” Oliver replied, “I am the understanding type . . . I don’t appreciate just being stood up. Were you in a situation that didn’t allow you to make a phone call?”

_I could barely breathe so yes, I think that making a phone call would’ve been a little difficult._

He didn’t say that though. Meeting Oliver’s eyes, he said, “I can understand you’re upset . . .”

“I’m not upset as much as baffled,” Oliver responded. “Although I have to be honest and say I’m a little disappointed as well.”

_You and me both._ “I am so sorry,” Clark said. Green eyes met brown. “My friend and I were investigating some odd events that had taken place recently and well, we got a little over our heads. If I could’ve contacted you, I would but I wasn’t in a position to do so.”

_There, that was the simplest version of the truth I can give._

Oliver’s expression showed concern. “Are you both okay?”

Clark smiled warmly. “Yes, we’re both fine.”

“Must’ve been some strange occurrences,” Oliver noted.

“It’s Smallville,” Clark said. Seeing Oliver’s puzzled face, he explained. “A lot of strange things happen around here. Stick around and you’ll get used to it.”

“I think I just may do that,” Oliver said, staring at him.

“I am sorry,” Clark said, “I hope my not showing up didn’t cause too much trouble.”

“No, it turned out okay,” Oliver said casually. “I ended up going with Lois . . . we ran into each other when I came to pick you up.”

Clark forced a smile and nodded, pretending he was hearing the information for the first time. “That’s great; did you guys have fun?”

Though he really didn’t want to know, he asked anyway. He was really jealous of Lois for getting to spend the evening with Oliver.

“She’s a nice woman,” Oliver said. Giving him a half smile, he went on, “We’re going to be good friends, I think.”

“Just friends?” Clark couldn’t resist asking.

Brown eyes were staring at him intensely, as if trying to read his expression. “Just friends,” Oliver confirmed after a moment.

There was a silence and Clark realized he was still holding the costume. “Oh,” he said, handing the box to Oliver. “I just wanted to give you the costume back . . . I never wore it.”

“Shame,” Oliver said, brown eyes focused on him, as he accepted the box, “It would’ve looked good on you.”

“Because red is my color, right?” Clark asked, with a small smile.

“You read the note then,” Oliver commented and Clark nodded. “You could’ve kept the costume, you know. I wasn’t expecting it back. Nor do I have a use for it.”

“I don’t know, I don’t really have a use for it either,” Clark said. “I didn’t feel right holding on to it.”

“If you say so,” Oliver said, setting the box next to him.

Clark hesitated for a moment and peered into Oliver’s expression. “You’re not . . . upset anymore, are you?”

“No, Clark, I am not,” Oliver said, “Trust me, all is forgiven.”

Clark wasn’t convinced. “I feel horrible . . . I wish I could make it up to you somehow.”

Oliver’s eyes lit up at the statement. “Do you really want to make it up to me?”

Clark nodded eagerly, despite being a bit nervous where Oliver’s thoughts were headed.

“Clark, with the party, I just wanted to get to know you,” Oliver said. “I would still like to have that opportunity.”

“What are you thinking?” Clark questioned.

“Well, I do believe Lionel Luthor is holding a party in order to announce your mother’s intentions to run for Congress,” Oliver informed him. “If you’re free, I’d like you to go with me.”

“As friends?” Clark wanted to know, “Or as a date?”

“That,” Oliver said, placing a hand on his knee, sending a shiver up and down Clark’s spine, “Would be completely up to you.”

“Oliver, I mean, this is Kansas,” Clark said, “And I don’t want to jeopardize my mother’s chances of running for office by showing up with another man. People would be scandalized.”

“Not as much as you think, Clark,” Oliver replied. “I’m sure Lionel will only have the deepest pockets present and they are not as moralistic as you believe.”

“I’m not sure this is what I want,” Clark said slowly.

“That’s why I’m letting you figure out,” Oliver said gently. “Clark, I’m making it no secret that my feelings for you go beyond friendship . . . but I can see that you’re confused.” He pressed his lips together. “However, I do want to know where you stand. Come to the party with me. And that night, give me your answer. You have a week to decide on what you want.”

“Oliver,” Clark said but Oliver was quick to cut him off.

“I’m an understanding man, Clark,” Oliver said, “Your decision will not affect my decision to back your mother. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a done deal. She is doing to do a lot of good for this country and I want to see her in office. I never mix business and pleasure, Clark, you can be assured.”

Clark nodded. “I wasn’t worried about that . . . it’s just . . . I’m not sure what to do when it comes to _us_.”

“Clark, I’ve seen the way you look at me,” Oliver stated, “I know there’s more on your side too. As I said, I get it . . . but I won’t wait any longer than that night. Tell me you don’t want to go further and I will stop pursuing you . . . but I won’t allow you to toy around with my feelings.”

“That makes sense,” Clark agreed. “I would be more than happy to join you at the party.”

“Great,” Oliver said, “I will call you with the details.”

“Do you have my number?” Clark asked.

“I have your cell phone number courtesy of Lois,” Oliver assured him.

Clark smiled and stood up. “I will talk to you soon then.”

“You can count on it,” Oliver replied, smiling.

Giving Oliver a smile, he entered the elevator and waved as the doors closed. As the elevator descended, he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face.

For the first time in weeks, he felt happy and at peace. As he found a secluded area so he could get home, he had to stop himself from acting like a dork.

Even with Lana, he had never felt so giddy . . . right now, he just felt as if he could fly. So he did. Before he knew it, he was in the air. _Oh My God . . . I’m flying._ The one power he was never able to get a hold on . . . now he had.

And it felt _amazing_. To be in the air, to soar with the birds . . . he loved the feeling it gave him. Clark made sure he was careful, as so not to run into any planes or be spotted.

Finding the farm, he landed right into the loft. He felt breathless. “I can fly,” he murmured.

It was about time. 


	4. Chapter 4

  
Before he could rejoice about his new ability, he heard footsteps and looking up, he saw his mother at the top of the steps.

Then his heart stopped. He had to tell her that he was going to show up to her party with Oliver. _Please, please don’t let her be mad._

Clark knew he would not be able to take it if she was disappointed or disgusted with him. Then again, he was betting that she would have a better reaction than his father would have, if he were alive. His mom had grown up in Metropolis . . . there was a high probability she would be more understanding about this.

“I heard you come in,” his mother said.

“Yeah, I just got home,” Clark said. “I thought you were in Metropolis all day . . .”

“My business finished early,” Martha said. “You looked worried . . . is everything okay?”

He sat on the couch. “Actually, mom, there is something I need to talk to you about.” He forced a laugh. “And you might want to be sitting down for this.”

Concern etched on her features, Martha nodded and took the seat next to him. “Is everything okay?”

“That depends on your point of view,” Clark said, smiling. “First of all . . . I . . . I flew today mom.”

She gasped. “You flew? How . . .”

“I don’t know,” Clark said, “I just felt like flying and before I knew it, I was airborne.”

“That’s great,” Martha said, “I know that’s the one ability you’ve been having difficulty with. I’m proud of you for mastering it. But I don’t see why you were nervous about my reaction.”

“There’s more,” Clark said slowly. He took a deep breath, “Yesterday, when I went to give Oliver the papers, he asked me to the ball. And I said yes.”

“But I didn’t see you there,” his mom pointed out, “He was with Lois.”

“I know,” Clark said, “I didn’t show up . . . it turned out that the person behind what happened recently was an escapee from the Phantom Zone. I was a little tied up so I couldn’t make the appointment.” Seeing his mom frown, he added, “Don’t worry, I went and apologized today . . . he is not upset or anything.”

Biting his lip, he added, “But he did ask me to that party that Lionel is hosting for you.”

“And I’m assuming you agreed to go,” Martha concluded. “Clark, I had no idea . . . when have you started showing interest in men?”

“I don’t know mom,” Clark said, “Oliver’s the first one . . . and I did say yes. I just wanted you to know . . . are you mad?”

“No sweetie, of course not,” Martha replied hurriedly. “It was just shocking. But if this makes you happy, then I support you.” She smiled warmly. “So are the two of you . . .”

“I don’t know,” Clark confessed. “Oliver is leaving that up to me. We were going to go to the ball as friends . . . I asked him about this one and he said that he wants more but he’s leaving the decision up to me. He did say that he wants an answer by that night, on whether or not I want more.”

“And what do you want?” His mom’s voice was gentle and supportive, not a hint of disapproval and Clark was grateful to have such an understanding mother.

“It’s confusing,” Clark said. “Mom, I’ve spent most of my life in love with Lana and I always thought I was interested in women . . . _just_ women. Now, I’m feeling things that I don’t understand and I do want more but I’m scared.”

“It looks like Oliver Queen gets that too,” Martha commented. “That’s why he’s letting you set the pace.”

“I don’t know why he’s being so patient with me,” Clark said. “I mean, he’s _Oliver Queen_.”

“Clark, I’ve always known you’re special,” Martha said, “And it has nothing to do with your abilities . . . I’m not too surprised that Oliver saw that too.”

Clark blushed. “You’re my mom, which makes you biased.”

“I’m being honest,” Martha said. “Clark, if you think Oliver can make you happy, you should go for it. In life we can be as cautious as we want but when it comes to our hearts . . . well, sometimes, risks should be taken.”

“You’re not bothered by me showing up with another man to your party?” Clark wondered aloud. “I mean, this could be damaging to you.”

“It won’t,” Martha promised him. She paused. “What decision are you going to tell Oliver?”

“Not sure,” Clark said, “I’ll have to think about it.”

“Just follow your heart, Clark,” Martha advised. “And it won’t lead you astray.”

He hugged his mother. “Thanks mom. I love you.”

“I love you too,” his mother replied, returning the embrace. “Don’t worry, Clark, everything will be just fine.”

Moving away slowly, he gave her a bright smile. As they fell into easy conversation about their lives, he could only hope that she was right.

The conversation made Clark feel a lot better but really, he still had his doubts. There were some things that a person couldn’t talk about with their mother. No, he needed someone else for that . . . he needed advice that his mother just couldn’t give. Advice he could only get from one person.

So that’s how he found himself at Chloe’s apartment the following day. He had called in advance and pleaded for some free time, saying that he really needed to talk to her. She was more than willing and they made a plan to meet for lunch.

He picked up soup and sandwiches from a deli that they both enjoyed and met her at her apartment. She promised Lois wouldn’t be around so they could have a private conversation.

“All right, Clark,” Chloe stated, as they ate. “What’s going on?”

Taking a deep breath, he recapped what had happened with Oliver. He was nervous at what she would think but once he started, he kept going until he reached the end of the story. Then, he avoided her gaze, unsure of what he would see there.

“Oh My God,” Chloe breathed. “Clark . . . you and Oliver Queen? Wow . . . that’s . . . I didn’t see that coming at all.”

“Are you disgusted?” he asked, still not meeting her eyes.

“Disgusted?” Chloe repeated, shocked. “Why would you think that?”

“Because I’m interested in another man,” Clark replied worriedly.

“Clark, I’m not homophobic,” Chloe said patiently. The gentleness of her tone gave him courage to meet her eyes, which were filled with nothing but understanding. “I am, however, surprised at this new development. When did you start liking men?”

“That’s the question of the week,” Clark joked weakly. He sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know . . . I’ve never felt this way before. It’s just there’s something about him.”

Chloe grinned. “Well, you certainly have good taste . . . I’ve seen pictures and that man is gorgeous.”

Clark blushed. “Chloe!”

“Oh come now, Clark,” Chloe teased. “I mean, this whole helping save the world thing is fun and all but now I find that I can talk to you about cute boys too. We shall be even greater friends.”

“I would rather not,” Clark laughed. “I still don’t think I’m the gossiping type . . . I’ll leave that duty to Lois.”

Chloe giggled. “If you say so . . . so tell me, what do you need to talk to me about? I mean, it seems as if you have everything figured out already. He’s attracted to you and you want him . . . I think that the decision should a done deal.”

“I don’t know, Chloe,” Clark sighed. “It is just . . . something is holding me back.”

“Is it Lana?” Chloe asked. “I mean, this is the first person you’ve been attracted to since the two of you broke up. If you still have feelings for her, I can understand that that could complicate matters with any potential relationship you would have with Oliver.”

“It’s not Lana,” Clark confessed. “I mean, truth be told, Chloe . . . I think I’m getting over Lana.”

“And miracles do happen!” Chloe exclaimed. “Clark Kent admitting that he is moving on from Lana Lang . . . stop the presses!”

“It’s not that monumental,” Clark argued. Seeing her raise an eyebrow, he conceded. “Okay, I’ve been whining over her for years, I get it. But . . . it’s a good thing, right? Moving on?”

“It’s definitely a good thing,” Chloe confirmed. “Lana’s moved on . . . who says that you shouldn’t too? Though, if you ask me, you definitely got the better end of the deal.” She grinned. “You have to give me all the details after your date.”

“I will,” Clark promised. He paused. “So I’m going to do this? Tell him I want more?”

“I say go for it,” Chloe urged. “But only if this is what you want, Clark. Don’t let anyone pressure you.”

Clark thought of Oliver’s smirk and his beautiful brown eyes and how, even though he had met him a few times, he could see what a nice person he was. Yet, he still was a bit nervous.

“Clark,” Chloe said slowly. “You still have a few days . . . you don’t have to make the decision now. Think it over. You’ve gotten my advice and your mom’s advice . . . take our words, listen to your heart and I am confident that you’ll make the right choice.”

“Thanks Chloe,” Clark said gratefully. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Trust me, Clark, you’re never going to have to find out,” Chloe said, with a smile. “So, other than meeting hot billionaires, what else have you been up to?”

Clark’s eye lit up. “Oh, I have some news actually.”

“More exciting than Oliver?” Chloe questioned, seeing his eagerness.

“Well,” Clark said casually. “If you think that me being able to finally fly is more exciting . . .”

“Clark!” Chloe said excitedly. “You can fly?”

He nodded, which of course, prompted her to ask for all the details. When she found out his flying was due to his encounter with Oliver, she teased him to no end.

“And you’re actually having doubts?” Chloe asked incredulously. “I mean, this guy makes you fly . . . literally! Lana never did that.”

“I know,” Clark said, his face heating up. “But it’s confusing, Chloe. I mean, I’m just getting over Lana. To jump into another relationship . . .”

“Just think about this, Clark,” Chloe advised. “Right now, though, I want to focus on the flying!”

Clark laughed and answered all the questions his best friend tossed his way. They had a pleasant afternoon together and Clark felt blessed he had some wonderful people in his life.

The following days flew by and Oliver was on his mind at every free moment, as was the upcoming “date”.

The big day arrived and he was silently thankful his mother had dragged him out to buy more formal clothes. She knew that since she was going to be in the spotlight more often, he may need appropriate attire, ones that weren’t made of flannel.

So one day she had dragged him shopping and after a few very painful hours, he had more formal clothes.

Either way, he was prepared. For that evening, he picked out a pair of dark pants, a pinstripe gray shirt and topped it off with a dark gray jacket.

Using a little bit of gel, he styled his hair and was pretty pleased with the end result. Oliver had called and said that he would pick him up at the farm. Of course, only after he made a few jokes about him actually being there, which had Clark blushing and grateful that they were talking over the phone and not in person.

Clark had offered to meet Oliver at the penthouse but Oliver had declined, saying that he was going to pick him up. Unable to refuse, and a little excited at getting to spend some time alone with him, Clark had agreed.

Oliver was prompt and when Clark heard the knock at the door, he couldn’t help the flurry of excitement that ran through his veins.

Glancing in the mirror one last time, he made his way to the door and pulled it opened. And had a hard time acting cool. The man on the other side looked absolutely wonderful, in a pair of black pants, a white dress shirt, a black tie and a black jacket.

“Hi,” he said. “You’re right on time.”

“And you’re actually here,” Oliver teased and Clark laughed. Oliver’s eyes ran up and down his body appreciatively. His intense gaze sent a shiver down Clark’s spine.

Oliver’s eyes met his. “You look absolutely amazing.”

“Thanks,” Clark replied. “So do you.”

“Ready to go?” Oliver asked, with a grin. Clark nodded and followed him outside, where a black stretch limo was waiting.

A man, who Clark assumed to be the driver, opened the door for them as they approached. Oliver moved and allowed Clark to get inside first, and slid in after him.

The door shut and Clark smiled, as the limo started to move. _Now what?_ He barely knew the man sitting next to him so what was he supposed to say?

“So Clark,” Oliver said, as if sensing how uncomfortable he was. “Tell me about yourself.”

Turning toward Oliver, he smiled. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” Oliver said softly, giving him a smile of his own.

Clark couldn’t help the blush that flooded his cheeks. He had never felt this way with anyone before, not even Lana. Oliver’s voice was filled with such sincerity and those brown eyes did things to him that he never suspected were possible. With just a glance, Oliver Queen could unravel him and that still took him aback.

“I think,” Clark teased, managed to find his voice, “You may have to be more specific.”

“Let’s start out with the basics then,” Oliver stated.

“Oliver, would I be wrong in saying that you know all the basics?” Clark questioned. Seeing Oliver’s confused expression, he continued. “I mean, you don’t seem like the type to go into a situation blind . . . I’m assuming you know a lot more about me than you’re letting on.”

“You are just something else,” Oliver said admiringly. “I have to admit I did do a bit of research.”

“All right then,” Clark said, feeling a lot more relaxed. He just hoped Oliver hadn’t uncovered anything too serious. “Then I should be asking you what you know about me. I can fill in the blanks if you let me know what information you already have.”

For some reason, he was not upset at Oliver looking him up as much as he was flattered.

“I know that you were adopted by the Kents after the meteor shower,” Oliver said slowly. Seeing Clark nod, seemingly not upset, he went on. “I know you’re 19 years old and graduated from Smallville High. I know that you enrolled in Central Kansas State University but dropped out after your father passed away and I know that you had plans to go to Metropolis University this fall before they closed down due to the Dark Thursday disaster.”

It was the last fact that had Clark raising an eyebrow. Very few people knew of his plans to return to school. His decision to return to school had been a spontaneous one, made after his breakup with Lana. He was trying to reorganize his life and he knew the best place to start was continuing his education.

His mom had been fully in support of his plan, as she hadn’t been pleased with him leaving his education in the first place. She knew it was necessary at the time but they both realized that, as much as he loved the farm, he couldn’t stay there forever.

So he filled out an application for Metropolis University and when he had been picking a major, he remembered how much he loved investigating with Chloe and chose journalism.

Being accepted was both a surprise and a thrill. He had told his mother and Chloe of his plans but no one else. But then again, this was Oliver Queen. His resources would’ve found this out easily.

“After my father died,” Clark said slowly, seeing the blonde had stopped talking. “I felt that I should help take care of the farm so I left school. My mom is highly in favor of education so she wasn’t too thrilled but I’m stubborn . . . she couldn’t change my mind.” He sighed, never having told anyone this before. But Oliver had such a friendly demeanor that Clark couldn’t resist being open with him.

“Recently, though, I just knew I needed more,” Clark continued. “So I applied to Metropolis University. My best friend goes there so I knew the transition wouldn’t be so bad.” He gave Oliver a wry smile. “Then Dark Thursday happened so I’m just waiting for the school to open again.”

“Those are some brave decisions you made,” Oliver noted.

“It’s no big deal,” Clark replied.

“I knew from the moment I saw you that you were something special,” Oliver told him. “My first instinct was correct.”

Fighting off a blush, Clark joked, “You know, I know that I owe you a decision tonight so if you’re trying to butter me up, I can see through your tactics.”

“I’m just being honest, Clark,” Oliver said, with a twinkle in his eyes.

“So what about you?” Clark said, quickly changing the topic before he could embarrass himself too much. “Don’t I get to know about you?”

“My life is an open book,” Oliver proclaimed. He smirked. “I’m sure it’s been splashed in the media enough anyway.”

“I don’t care what they say,” Clark interrupted. “I don’t want to know the man that the media portrays . . . I’m sure they’re inaccurate in almost every way . . . I’d like to know you and I want to hear what you have to say.”

Oliver looked surprised at Clark’s declaration. “Most people don’t,” Oliver said cautiously. “They like what they read about.”

“I thought we just established I’m not most people,” Clark said pointedly. “And if we haven’t already, I’m not.”

“Yes, you really aren’t,” Oliver murmured.

Green eyes met brown and Clark’s heart fluttered at the emotions in Oliver’s eyes. He wanted to know everything about the man sitting next to him and the feelings were just a bit overwhelming.

One thing was for certain: this would not be a night he would soon forget.  



	5. Chapter 5

Oliver was stunned at how much he revealed about himself on the drive to the party. Never before had he willingly shared so much about his life with anyone. But Clark Kent wasn’t like any other person he had ever met before, he was unique . . . special.

Ever since his parents’ death, he had closed himself, not revealing more than necessary to the outside world. But Clark was not everyone else . . . and Oliver couldn’t help but have feelings for him.

He knew that that night, Clark was going to give him an answer on whether he wanted more. Oliver could only hope that the younger man would say ‘yes’ because he knew he was already falling for him.

The drive was wonderful and Clark was great company. In fact, Oliver was almost regretful when they arrived at their destination. Because he knew that though they would be together, there would be constant interruptions and they would not really get a chance to talk.

That was why he was so insistent on picking Clark up at the farm . . . that way, he could at least get some private time with the brunette.

And what a lovely time it was. Too bad that it was limited. However, he knew that they were expected at the party and as much as he would love to, they couldn’t bail.

As he suspected, there was a huge crowd by the time they arrived. They got a few surprised glances but other than that, nobody really blinked an eye.

In fact, Clark was surprised at the calm reaction that he received by walking in with Oliver. He had been nervous but it seemed that Oliver was right about the super rich not really being overly moralistic. For that, he was relieved.

Lionel had been already forewarned by his mother that Clark was attending with Oliver so he didn’t blink an eye either.

To their surprise, the first person they encountered was none other than Lois.

“Hey you two,” she greeted them. She looked lovely in a black dress. In retrospect, Clark should’ve expected her, considering she was his mother’s Chief of Staff. But as far as he knew, she supported them and Oliver had even confessed her encouraging him to pursue Clark. So he knew that it was fine.

“Hi Lois,” Clark responded, with a smile. Oliver too gave her a grin.

“You guys are here together, huh?” Lois asked, with a wicked smile. “First date?”

“Well, I’m not sure about that,” Oliver chipped in, glancing at Clark. “We’re here together . . . but the date part? That would be up to your friend here.”

“So,” Lois said, immediately directing her questions toward him. “Is this a date?”

“We’ll see,” Clark said, remaining vague. Oliver pouted. “Nice try, Queen . . . I’m onto your tricks. You won’t get your answer until after the party.”

“You two are too cute,” Lois said, clearly delighted.

“Cute?” Clark echoed.

“Come along,” Oliver said. “Let’s mingle . . . and Lois, remember, this is a party.”

“I can take care of myself,” Lois protested. “Besides, I would really don’t want to interrupt your date.”

“You’re not interrupting,” Clark responded. “We can all hang out together. Besides, the fact that you mistook Oliver for a courier, I really think it’s best we keep an eye on you.”

“Fine, fine,” Lois said, giving in. “I know the rules . . . stay away from religion, politics and bad dye jobs.”

Clark chuckled at her indignant expression. “Let’s go then.”

The trio wandered around, meeting several different people. They were talking among themselves when they heard a voice.

“Ollie,” a man in a suit said, walking toward them, with a woman by his side. “We haven’t seen you in such a long time.”

“Hello,” Oliver said politely.

“Hi Oliver,” the woman said. Clark didn’t recognize either one of them.

“Mr. Westcott and his wife,” Oliver said smoothly, “I’d like you to introduce you to my guest for the evening, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane.”

“Simon Westcott,” the man said, extending a hand toward Clark.

“It’s a pleasure,” Clark said, shaking the offered hand.

“Likewise,” Mr. Westcott said. “You’re Senator Kent’s son, correct?”

“I am,” Clark confirmed.

“And you must be her chief of staff,” he commented, turning toward Lois. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Likewise,” Lois replied. “So I wanted to tell you that I thought you were so eloquent at the Congressional indictment hearings. Sorry about your oil tanker. I’d hate to be a pelican at that harbor, huh?”

Clark had to refrain from groaning aloud. Both the Westcotts looked taken aback and Oliver shook his head.

“Well, we’re going to go,” Oliver said, trying rectify the situation. “That’s our cue.” Practically dragging Lois away, Clark shot them an apologetic smile before following them.

“I guess I forgot to add public humiliation to the list of cocktail-party don’t,” Oliver said dryly, once all three of them were in a more private area.

Clark couldn’t help the chuckle at Lois’ frown.

“I’m going to go get us some drinks,” Oliver said. “Clark, I trust you’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t talk to anyone?”

“I can do that,” Clark assured him.

“I’m standing right here, you know,” Lois said pointedly.

“We know,” Oliver and Clark said in unison.

Oliver winked at Clark and walked away, leaving Clark with Lois.

“So, Smallville,” Lois teased. “Should I say I told you so now or later?”

“Lois,” Clark said.

“No, no, no,” Lois replied, “This is my moment . . . what did you say? Oh, Lois, I’m interested in _women_ . . . you’re absolutely _nuts_ if you think Oliver is checking me out. I was so right.”

“Fine,” Clark said grudgingly, “You were right.”

“See,” Lois said, with a teasing smile. “Was that so difficult?”

Clark was about to respond when he accidentally bumped into someone, who turned out to be the one carrying around flutes of champagne.

Unfortunately for him, one of the glasses tipped, a bit of champagne spilling on his jacket.

“I’m so sorry, Sir,” the man apologized.

“It was my fault,” Clark replied, with a grin. The man nodded and kept walking.

“Nice work, Smallville,” Lois commented. “You better go and make sure that doesn’t stain.”

Clark nodded and stared at her warily. “Don’t get yourself into trouble, okay?”

“I’ll be good,” Lois told him. Giving her one last glance, he made his way to the restroom.

Dabbing a little water on his jacket, his hearing picked up Lionel’s voice introducing his mother. Smiling, he prepared to make his way back, not wanting to miss his mother’s speech.

Then suddenly, everything went dark. _What is going on?_

Hearing a scream, he walked toward the main area, in time to see Lois run out. Knowing her reckless attitude and worried about her safety, he pushed past the frantic crowd and got to the hallway.

To see Lois grabbing onto something, as a man in green leather disappeared.

“Lois,” he said, catching her attention.

“Smallville,” Lois said, surprised.

“What happened?” he questioned. “I leave the room for a minute and everything goes haywire?”

“Your mom was going to make her speech,” Lois explained, walking toward him. “And then the lights went out and this guy came out of nowhere, snatching her necklace.”

“That was the guy who just disappeared then,” Clark surmised.

“Yeah, I didn’t seem to catch up with him though,” Lois said, resigned. “The necklace is gone.”

Clark was disappointed in himself. If he had been around, he _knew_ he could’ve caught up to that guy.

“Don’t worry, Lois,” Clark said quickly, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Even if he wanted to say more, he wouldn’t have been able to. Security guards and people showed up to check up on them.

Along with the crowd came a very worried looking Oliver.

“Are you guys okay?” Oliver questioned.

“We’re fine,” Lois told him.

“The lights went out so suddenly,” Oliver stated, “And I had no idea where you two disappeared to. What happened anyway?”

“You’d have to ask Lois,” Clark said, “I got here at the last minute . . . I have no clue what’s going on myself.”

Oliver nodded and that was when the guards started asking questions. Finally, after rounds of questioning, they were able to leave, Lois going back to the penthouse with them, at Clark’s insistence.

Not long after they got there, yet another guard showed up, insisting on questioning Lois.

Oliver and Clark waited patiently as Lois was interrogated, Clark fighting the urge to kick the guy out. Lois may bug him at times, but she was his best friend and he cared a lot about her.

But she proved that she could handle her own, just as she had so many times before.

“I couldn’t ID the guy,” Lois was saying. “But he didn’t exactly stay around to chat.”

“You told Mr. Luthor that you almost caught him,” the man, who was a Safetex Security guard, argued. “Yet you expect me to believe that you didn’t see anything?”

“Look,” Lois said coolly. “Lionel Luthor pays Safetex, what? A gazillion dollars for personal security? So don’t blame me if you let a boy scout with an archery badge crash his party.”

Clark was about to interfere but sensing the tension, Oliver did so first.

“Ok, I think Ms Lane has made her point,” Oliver interrupted. “Wouldn’t you say?” The man looked at him and Oliver just smiled. “She’ll call you if she remembers anything.” The man, realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere left.

“Evening,” Oliver murmured.

Both men turned their attention back to Lois, who was now smirking on the couch.

“So what aren’t you telling him?” Oliver asked curiously.

“I just nabbed the story of my life,” Lois said, standing up and pulled out a thick ring. “William Tell is not the only one who walked away with a serious party favor.”

Clark examined the ring. “Lois, is that safe to keep? He’ll notice it’s missing soon enough.”

“Oh come now, Smallville,” Lois said, “Do you want to nab this guy or not?”

“I do,” Clark confirmed. “I mean, the last thing I want is for my mother to be indebted to Lionel Luthor.”

“Yeah, well she should’ve thought of that before she accepted his help with the fundraising,” Oliver pointed out. “As for you, Lois . . . I mean, if that guy notices it’s missing, he’ll track you down. You could make yourself a target.”

“I can handle him,” Lois insisted.

“Fine,” Oliver said, realizing the true stubbornness of Lois Lane, “But if you’re really championing the causes of pick-pocketed billionaires, you may want to add a few more to the list.”

Clark glanced at Oliver, surprised. “Are you saying that Lionel Luthor isn’t the only victim?”

“Over a dozen of Metropolis’ who’s-who have been hit recently,” Oliver informed them.

“Good,” Clark replied, “Then we have some leads.”

“Not if all the victims were as uncooperative as Lionel Luthor,” Oliver said lightly. Seeing their puzzled expressions, he added, “Didn’t you find it strange that he didn’t call the police?”

Now that Clark thought about it, there hadn’t been any sign of the cops. Was that normal?

“Okay, this conversation is getting to be a little too intense,” Lois said. “The two of you enjoy the rest of your night . . . and don’t think too much about this, Smallville. I’m sure we’ll get it settled soon.”

“Are you leaving?” Clark asked.

“I do have a front page article that is missing a few details,” Lois told them. “So yes, I’m making my way home and before you even say anything, I will get back safely. You stay here. Good night boys.”

“Good night Lois,” Oliver said.

“Night Lois,” Clark said. And they were silent, as they watched her leave.

“She is interesting,” Oliver noted when they were alone again.

“It’s Lois,” Clark sighed. “She’s always putting herself in danger like this.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Oliver said. “She looks like she can take care of herself.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Clark said slowly. Then he smiled suddenly. “And I think I’m going to take her advice.”

“Which advice would that be?” Oliver questioned.

“To just forget about this guy for now,” Clark responded, with a cheeky smile. “The party’s over and I do believe I owe you an answer, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver smiled. “I believe you do . . . however, as our night was cut short, I do have to add in that I’m feeling a bit gypped.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Clark told him. “I’d already made my decision before leather boy interrupted our evening.”

Oliver’s cool demeanor vanished and Clark was shocked to see a tinge of anxiety creasing the blonde’s handsome features. Just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished and Oliver was composed again.

“Okay then,” Oliver said. “Let’s hear the verdict.”

“Oliver,” he said slowly. “I don’t really know how to say this.” Seeing the disappointment in Oliver’s chocolate brown eyes, he quickly closed the distance between them.

Pulling the blonde into his arms, he added, “So I’ve made a decision and I’ve realized no words are needed after all.”

“Clark?” Oliver said, disappointment turning into confusion.

“Ssshhh,” Clark said, placing a finger on Oliver’s lips. Removing his finger, he leaned forward and captured Oliver’s lips with his own.

Oliver froze for a moment but then reciprocated to the kiss and Clark quickly realized that the blonde was the best kisser he had ever had the pleasure of locking lips with. Whatever doubts he had were gone and he just delighted in the pleasure that Oliver’s soft lips were bringing him.

Eventually, they had to pull away, the need for air separating them. Oliver was staring at him intensely, brown eyes darkened with lust and Clark had to fight the urge to lick his lips at the sight.

“I have to admit I was not expecting that,” Oliver confessed. “But it definitely was not unwelcome. I’m hoping that it means that you want more . . . but if you treat all your friends that way, I don’t mind being on that list.” He smirked. “I will have to watch your other friends more closely though.”

“I want more,” Clark confirmed. “I won’t deny that I’m nervous as hell . . . but I can’t deny that there’s something between us.” ”

“We can take this as slow as you want, Clark,” Oliver told him.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Clark said shyly. “We’re together then?”

“We are definitely together,” Oliver replied, a grin spreading across his face. “You’re quite the sneaky one . . . I really thought that you were going to say ‘no’.”

Clark smiled. “I can be unpredictable too.”

“You definitely are,” Oliver agreed, sliding his arms around Clark’s back.

“So if we’re done talking,” Clark said suggestively. “Can I kiss you again?”

“You definitely may,” Oliver responded.

And as their lips met once more, Clark was content with the decision he had made.

It was the start of something new and Clark couldn’t wait to see where it would lead.  



	6. Chapter 6

  
When Lana Lang opened the paper over breakfast the following morning, she had to stop herself from gasping aloud. The morning had started off pretty crazy and she thought that nothing could top finding out Lex was working on alien technology but apparently, the worst was yet to come.

“Is everything all right?” Lex asked her. Looking up and meeting the concerned blue-gray eyes of her boyfriend, she shook her head.

He gave her a half smile. “Lana, did they put more gossip about us? I know it troubles you but you have to understand . . . it is one of the more troublesome aspects of being in a relationship with me.”

Seeing her unchanging expression, he pressed his lips together. “If they said something really bad, I can sic my lawyers on them.”

“It’s not about us,” Lana was quick to assure him. “It’s safe to say that they have more interesting news . . .”

“Just tell me,” Lex urged. “How bad can it be?”

Turning back to the paper, she read the headline aloud. “Party Brings About Kent-Queen Alliance.”

Lex raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

Sighing, she continued to read the article. “Lionel Luthor’s elaborate affair may have been interrupted midway through due to the interference of an unidentified leather clad thief but that didn’t take away from the lavishness of the event. Present were Metropolis’ deepest pockets, including the city’s newest billionaire, Oliver Queen, CEO of Queen Industries. It is rumored that he is financially supporting the new state senator, Martha Kent, in her bid for Congress.”

“I don’t understand what’s the big deal,” Lex commented.

“I’m not finished,” Lana told him and continued reading. “However, it seems that Oliver Queen’s connection with the Kent family does not end with the Senator. He arrived at the gathering with none other than Senator Kent’s only son, Clark Kent, on his arm.”

Hearing a sharp gasp, she paused and met the shocked gaze of her boyfriend. Lex wasn’t rattled easily so she knew that this was big. Hell, she had been taken back. She had known Clark all her life and never once did she show an interest in men.

“Keep going,” Lex told her. “There is more, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, there is,” Lana replied and turned back to the article. “Though both parties claim that they were nothing but friends, it didn’t go unnoticed that they barely left each other’s side throughout the course of the night. After the thief’s interruption, Mr. Queen didn’t leave Mr. Kent’s side, even through the interrogations. The duo left together. Whether not the pair is engaged in a romantic relationship is unknown still. At Lex Luthor’s recent ball to help the victims of Dark Thursday, Oliver Queen showed up with none other than Martha Kent’s chief of staff, Lois Lane but the two were pleasant with each other, their interactions nothing but platonic. As for the Senator’s son, there will be a firm eye watching to see what will happen with them next.”

Frowning slightly, she finished. “That is all that is about Mr. Queen and Clark specifically.”

“Interesting,” was all Lex said.

“Interesting?” Lana repeated. “Is that it?”

“Lana,” Lex said patiently. “I went to school with Oliver . . . it’s no surprise to me that he’s bisexual. I don’t have personal experience with that but he’s never declared he’s straight. As for Clark, it’s a little surprising, yes, but it’s really no big deal. Does it bother you? I suppose these are the kind of issues that really need more exposure to get used to. We have grown up in different environments and I guess your reaction is natural, considering you grew up _here_.”

“I’m not homophobic,” Lana said quickly. “It’s just . . . it’s _Clark_.”

Lex shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. “He’s moved on . . . and it just happened to be with a male. You’ve moved on too . . . you _have_ moved on, haven’t you?”

“Of course, Lex,” Lana assured him. “I only want to be with you . . . it’s just weird, that’s all.”

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it,” Lex told her. “It’s the initial surprise . . . it’ll wear off with time. Besides, we don’t know for fact that there is anything going on . . . until then, there is no need to overreact.”

“I guess you’re right,” Lana agreed. “It’s no big deal.”

Lex returned to his breakfast and the subject was dropped. But Lana couldn’t forget . . . the words were one thing but there had been an accompanying picture that Lana hadn’t mentioned.

The picture was of none other than Clark and Oliver but the real shocker was the smile that was on Clark’s face. A genuine, beautiful, heart-stopping smile . . . she hadn’t seen him smile like that in a long time. No wonder the article was speculating that there was more.

But it didn’t bother her. She was with Lex . . . and she was _happy_ with Lex. Yes, he was honest with her . . . he cared about her . . . Lex, unlike Clark, would never hurt her.

It didn’t matter to her what Clark Kent did or who he did it with.

But then why wasn’t the nagging feeling in her heart going away?

Outwardly, Lex pretended as if the subject was dropped but it was plaguing him as much as it was Lana. _Oliver and Clark?_ Of course his former best friend would find comfort in his childhood nemesis of all people.

And for them to be engaged in a romantic relationship? Since when was Clark interested in men? Certainly not when he was friends with Lex . . . at that time, Lana was the only name that spilled from his lips. There were a few distractions but it always came back to Lana.

Now, _Oliver_? Oliver Queen was nothing like Lana Lang . . . what could Clark possibly see in that asshole? The blonde had spent much of their youth tormenting Lex and from what he saw at his own ball, he hadn’t changed.

Certainly Clark was too smart to fall for his routine? At least he thought so. _Relax . . . as far as you know, they could’ve just been going as friends. He might’ve asked and Clark was worried that if he said no, Queen wouldn’t back his mother. Yeah, that’s it._

Until he found out more about this so-called Kent-Queen alliance, he was not going to make any assumptions.

Anyway, Clark was hardly civil to him . . . why should he care what the younger man did in his free time? They weren’t friends and Clark had made that plenty clear several times.

So if he wanted to mess around with Oliver Queen, fine . . . he’d only see what a mistake he made later when Queen showed his true colors.

Lex certainly didn’t care . . . he had a gorgeous girlfriend and he was plenty busy with Luthorcorp and uncovering that new piece of alien technology.

Clark Kent was the furthest thing from his mind.

Clark Kent, who was too busy with his own life to realize that he was on the minds of the residents in the Luthor mansion.

His night had gone well . . . he had stayed with Oliver for a bit and left approximately an hour after Lois had. He had chores to do in the morning and he was still determined to find that necklace but Oliver said he would call him soon.

Clark would certainly be looking forward to that call.

He did a get a call the next day but it was from a very worried Chloe. Concerned at the tone of her voice, he zipped to the Planet, where she was waiting for him. She filled him in on the situation with Lois and their necklace thief.

“Lois really is on a warpath,” Clark said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe that she is still pursuing this story.”

“Can you go and keep an eye on her, Clark?” Chloe requested. “If he decides to make a reappearance, I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“I can do that,” Clark promised. “I’ll make sure Lois doesn’t get hurt.”

Chloe nodded, looking relieved and then a slow smile spread across her face. “So what about you? I know Lois had an interesting encounter yesterday but how did your date with Oliver go? The two of you made the papers this morning.”

Clark blushed and nodded. He had seen the article and he had been a little worried but they were just speculations. And he hadn’t gotten any nasty phone calls yet so it seemed to be going okay.

“Really well,” Clark admitted, lowering his voice. After all, he was still in a newsroom. There were ears everywhere.

“Did you give him your decision?” Chloe asked eagerly.

“I did,” Clark told her. Seeing her expectant expression, he grinned. “I might’ve kissed him and told him I wanted more.”

“Clark Kent!” Chloe said excitedly. “I am impressed . . . so you two are together now?” He just smiled and nodded.

“That’s great,” she said sincerely. “It’s about time you got some happiness in your life.”

“Thank you, Chloe,” Clark said gratefully. “I really appreciated your advice.”

“That’s what I’m here for, Kent,” Chloe teased. “Now, I really want details but I have to make sure my cousin is safe first . . . we’ll talk later?”

“Definitely,” Clark told her. They exchanged goodbyes and Clark went off to track Lois.

Finding her was easy and she was busy working on an article.

“Lois,” Clark said, catching her attention. “Are you okay? I heard what happened.”

“Let me guess,” Lois said, “Chloe asked you to babysit me?”

“She’s just worried about you,” Clark protested and Lois gave him a small smile.

“I know that,” Lois responded. “But I can take care of myself.”

“You seem to be doing a fantastic job so far,” a voice commented from the entrance. Clark and Lois spun around to see Oliver standing there, smirking.

“Oliver?” Clark said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“I was actually looking for you,” Oliver told him. “What’s going on?”

“Lois’ ring got stolen,” Clark said, ignoring Lois’ glare and quickly filled him in on what he found out.

Oliver frowned at the story and glanced at Lois. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Lois cut in. “I am a reporter . . . this is part of my job.”

“Yes, you are a reporter,” Oliver agreed, with an easy smile. He picked up the paper on the desk. “But I didn’t realize that putting your life at danger was part of the job description.”

“The greater the risk, the greater the reward,” Lois responded, not the least bit fazed.

“The Green Arrow Bandit,” Oliver read and smirked. “Doesn’t exactly roll of the tongue, does it?”

“Does his name really matter?” Clark interjected. “This guy’s a danger.”

“I don’t know, Clark,” Oliver joked. “This guy steals your mom’s necklace and then gasses your two best friends, all within a 24-hour period? I’d say he’s got a thing for you.”

“When you’re my editor, I’m sure I’ll remember to care what you think,” Lois interrupted.

Oliver raised an eyebrow. “You know that whole sugar-and-spice thing? It never really took with you did it?”

“Not in the least,” Clark agreed, chuckling.

Lois rolled her eyes. “Look, Green Arrow, green eggs and ham . . . it doesn’t really matter what I call this guy. I’m gonna have his face plastered all over the front page soon enough.”

“Well, unless I’m missing something,” Oliver stated, “Without that ring, you’re not nearly as close to ID’ing this guy as you claim to be.”

“Yeah, that,” Lois responded. “Well, I might have stretched the truth just a little.”

“Okay, well, you know it’s a good thing that the Inquisitor doesn’t pride itself on integrity,” Oliver laughed, waving the newspaper.

“Ollie, I will find this guy,” Lois said determinedly. “And Smallville over here is helping too . . . I’m sure the three of us can figure something out.”

Oliver turned to Clark, who was watching the exchange, amused. His expression changed instantly

“Clark,” Oliver said, worriedly, “Are you sure you want to get yourself involved in this?”

“Ollie, Chloe and I have been doing this sort of thing for a long time,” Clark told him. “Relax.”

Oliver didn’t seem convinced. “Listen, I don’t like the idea of you dangling yourself as bait in front of this guy,” Oliver said, gently stroking his face. “I mean, anyone after the Green Arrow’s gonna come after you, if they find out you’re on the search party.” He briefly glanced at Lois. “You too Lois . . . in fact, you more than Clark, considering your byline is on that article.”

“Oliver,” Clark said patiently. “If anyone can handle this Green Arrow, it’s me.” Oliver’s unhappy expression didn’t change and Clark just smiled reassuringly. His new boyfriend had no idea of the powers he possessed so of course, he would be concerned.

“Besides,” Lois chipped in, “Anyone after the Green Arrow is a friend of mine, and I will be sitting front and center with them when they lock this guy up.”

“Wouldn’t want you on my jury,” Oliver muttered.

“Meaning . . .?” Lois asked.

“Well,” Oliver noted. “You know, I thought we did away with the ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mentality with covered wagons.”

“Oh come on,” Lois said incredulously. “Don’t tell me you’re some kind of bleeding-heart pacifist.”

“And that’s worse than a knee-jerk fascist?” Oliver shot back.

“Okay, okay,” Clark said, interfering. “Let’s all calm down . . . no need to argue.”

Oliver visibly calmed down and smiled seductively at Clark, wrapping his arms around his back.

“You’re right . . . but you need to relax too,” Oliver suggested. “Forget about this guy for the weekend. I can have you in Cancun in time for the sunset tonight, sipping margaritas. What do you say?” Clark blushed at the look in his eyes but wasn’t able to give a response.

“Ollie, as much as I’m thrilled that the two of are shacking up,” Lois said. “I don’t think Smallville can be your boytoy . . . we need him here. The only person he’ll be seeing this weekend is into leather and has a perverted fetish for archery.”

“Yeah,” Clark said apologetically. “I do have work to do . . . rain check?”

Oliver nodded but there was an emotion in his eyes that Clark couldn’t quite place. He figured he would ask later . . . right now, he had someone to track.

“I have to go now,” Clark said, “But will I see you later?”

“You can see me whenever you want,” Oliver said, a smile emerging on his face.

Kissing him lightly, Clark smiled. “I’ll call you when this mess is over.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Oliver responded. Giving him one last kiss, he turned to Lois, who was looking quite pleased. “Bye, Lois.”

“Bye, Smallville,” she replied.

Clark left and headed back to the Planet, where he told Chloe that Lois was okay. He knew that she worried about her cousin so he wanted to tell her.

“Good,” Chloe said.

“Did you find out anything new?” Clark questioned.

“I did,” Chloe said, handing him a file. “I was tapping into Lionel’s security firm to see if we could find anything. And it looks like Lionel’s rocks weren’t the only recent casualty.”

Clark looked up from the file and met her gaze.

“Over a dozen of their clients have been hit,” Chloe explained.

“Oliver said that there were other billionaires who had items stolen,” Clark remembered. “But I didn’t know that they were all Safetex clients.” It did, however, make sense to why that security guard was so desperate to get answers from Lois.

“Yeah, well, for all the money they’re getting paid for security,” Chloe quipped. “They’re not really keeping their clients _secure_.”

“Do the police have any leads?” Clark questioned.

“The police don’t know anything,” Chloe responded. “Not a single crime report has been filed, not even from Lionel.”

“Oliver said something like that too,” Clark sighed.

“Your boyfriend seems to be extremely informed on the situation,” Chloe commented.

“I wish I knew half as much,” Clark replied wryly. “We need to find this guy . . . the sooner, the better.”

“What are you going to do?” Chloe questioned.

“Talk to Lionel,” Clark answered. “See if I can get some answers.” He didn’t like the man and even though Lionel knew his secret, he didn’t trust him just yet. But that was the only logical source.

“Good luck,” Chloe offered, noticing his reluctance.

“Thanks” he replied and with that, he was gone. His first stop was Luthorcorp, where Lionel was exiting the building phone to his ear.

Seeing Clark, he smiled. “Clark. What a good surprise.” Lionel offered his hand and Clark shook it in greeting. “What brings you here?”

“My mom was pretty shaken up after the party,” Clark started.

“Oh yeah, I know,” Lionel said. “But in spite of the impromptu entertainment, your mother made a terrific impression on some very influential people.”

“She wasn’t the only one,” Clark replied.

“Walk me to my car, will you?” Lionel said and Clark walked by his side as they approached the waiting vehicle. “Don’t worry, Clark. My security team is making a very thorough investigation.”

“Unlike the police?” Clark questioned.

Lionel just laughed in response.

“Tell me,” Clark continued, “Why wouldn’t you report something _that_ valuable if it was stolen?”

“Well, I’d rather not let the entire city know that I’m a sitting duck for some acrobatic archer,” Lionel responded. “It’s not wise to advertise our vulnerabilities, it is, Clark?”

Clark had to refrain from frowning. At times like this he was very nervous about Lionel’s knowledge of his secret, not to mention his weakness.

“You’re talking about some very expensive vulnerabilities,” Clark said, handing him the file, trying to focus on the issue at hand.

“Ooh, Fabregé Egg,” Lionel said, scanning the file. “Bishop’s Miter, 14th century. This is big stuff.”

“Not the kind of stuff you find in your local pawn-shop window,” Clark told him.

“Here’s something that might interest you,” Lionel said, handing back the file. “Unless you’ve noticed this already. There’s only one name on the Safetex client list that hasn’t been hit already. I don’t want to be late. You find it, huh?”

Clark watched as Lionel entered the car and left. Turning back to the list, he saw that Lionel was indeed correct.

If his deductions were correct, this would be the next stop of the Green Arrow. There was a pattern to his thievery and Clark planned to put an end to it . . . tonight.

Tonight, he would confront the Green Arrow. 


	7. Chapter 7

  
Oliver Queen, clad in his Green Arrow costume, stood on a rooftop, watching his target below. Somehow, he had managed to escape Lois that afternoon and now, he had some work to do.

He aimed his arrow at the second building and used the cable to get across to the other side.

Once inside, he used one of his special arrows to dispense the laser security. Examining the necklace, he slowly pocketed and turned, ready to leave.

And froze. Because he wasn’t alone in the room. Now, he was facing none other than his boyfriend, who was walking toward him. Oh crap. Somehow, he had to get out of his situation, without hurting Clark. Too bad he had no idea how.

“Who are you?” Clark demanded.

“Haven’t you heard?” Oliver said, thankful his voice was masked by his distorter. “I’m the Green Arrow.”

Clark didn’t seem bothered. “Well,” his boyfriend said. “I hope you’ve enjoyed your cult status while it lasted.”

_Clark, please don’t make me do this._

“I think you’re taking the whole neighborhood watch thing a bit too seriously,” Oliver said. He tried to walk past the brunette but was stopped by a hand on his chest, pushing him backwards

_I’m so sorry, Clark._ He didn’t want to hurt his boyfriend but he couldn’t risk being unmasked. If he could just push Clark down, he could leave and nobody would get hurt.

He lifted his hand in a punch but his hand was caught by Clark’s. And was shocked when he found he couldn’t move.

Effortlessly, Clark threw him across the room and he must’ve hit something when he landed, because the alarms were set off. But he was too focused on what had just happened with Clark.

Clark, who was staring at the Green Arrow, standing still as the alarms continued to blare. He had been waiting for the Green Arrow and as suspected, he turned up.

The Green Arrow got up slowly.

“That was fun,” the Green Arrow commented. “Looks like I’m not the only one with a secret.” Clark tilted his head in confusion at that statement.

“I hate to break it to you tough guy, but you’re on the wrong side,” the Green Arrow told him, with a smirk. _Why does that smirk seem so familiar?_

“I’m not sure the police would agree,” Clark responded.

“Look around you, Beav,” the Green Arrow said, with a wave of his arm. “The days of the good guy running the show are over.”

In a smooth move, the Green Arrow fired an arrow but Clark caught it easily. This definitely threw the Green Arrow back and Clark’s eyes drifted from the arrow in his hand to the shocked expression of the man in front of him.

Hearing footsteps, the Green Arrow fired another arrow but the guard he fired it at wasn’t so invulnerable.

When the arrow hit its target, they heard a moan and Clark spun around, quickly making his way toward the fallen man.

The security guard nodded, gesturing toward the window and Clark looked back to see that the now empty area.

The Green Arrow had escaped.

_What the hell was that?_ Oliver didn’t stop until he reached his penthouse and was just too taken aback at the whole situation.

Clark had caught his arrow with one hand and the sharp point hadn’t even pieced his skin. Apparently, there was more to his new boyfriend than he thought. Fortunately, Clark got distracted with the guard so he could escape but otherwise, he was extremely close to being unmasked.

_Who would’ve thought?_ Certainly not him . . . Clark Kent was definitely no ordinary farm boy.

_“If anyone can handle this Green Arrow, it’s me.”_ Clark really wasn’t kidding when he said that.

So what was he going to do now?

_How could I have let him get away?_ Thoughts of the Green Arrow plagued Clark all night long and he could barely sleep.

He had slipped up, had let himself get distracted and the Green Arrow had managed to escape. What was worse was that the Green Arrow knew that there was something unusual about him and so even though he hadn’t seen who was underneath the glasses, he knew who he was.

The first thing he did in the morning was go see Chloe, who he filled in on the situation. She was stunned too.

“So, how’d you let this guy slip through your fingers?” she wanted to know.

“This Green Arrow Bandit’s got a lot of gadgets,” Clark replied.

“Gadgets?” Chloe repeated, “Against the Man of Steel?”

“He’s good, all right?” Clark said, not wanting to admit his own stupidity.

“Fine,” Chloe said, “Backing off.” She shook her head. “The Green Arrow Bandit? Is that really the name Lois came up with? If you ask me, I’d lose the ‘Bandit’ but not my story.”

“You know,” Clark said curiously. “With your competitive streak, I’m surprised you forfeited this one to Lois.”

“Ha!” Chloe said, as they approached her desk. “Lois? Competition? I’m chalking this one up to pro bono.”

“Yeah, right,” Clark said, smiling.

“Okay, so idle hands aren’t really my thing,” Chloe conceded. “I got the Safetex report on the arrows. They’re made from an advanced titanium alloy that is untraceable.” Clark refrained from groaning aloud . . . this guy was intelligent, he had to give him that.

“What about the ring?” Clark asked, trying to be optimistic.

“None of the shots I scanned on my computer came out to have a clean image,” Chloe responded. And then she grinned wickedly. “However, I may have forgotten to mention to Lois that my computer is compiling them to render a new one.”

Clark chuckled. “Not competitive huh?”

“A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do,” Chloe replied.

“I’ll just be happy when we find this guy,” Clark said, a slight frown creasing his features. He would’ve said more but his cell phone went off at the moment.

Smiling apologetically at Chloe, he picked it up.

“Kent,” he answered.

“Hey, Clark.” It was Oliver.

“Oliver, hi,” Clark replied. “What’s up?”

“I just didn’t hear from you after you left yesterday,” Oliver replied. “And I want to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m okay,” Clark told him. “And you?”

“Not too bad,” Oliver said. “Just sorting some stuff out . . . any leads on that Green Arrow?”

“None,” Clark lied. “Yesterday, I didn’t really get to focus on the case but I’m working on it.”

Oliver sounded off as he replied, “That’s too bad.”

“Yeah,” Clark agreed. “Anyway, I have to go . . . got some stuff to do but I’ll call you later?”

“Works for me,” Oliver said. Saying goodbye, Clark hung up and turned back to Chloe, who was watching him with a bemused expression on her face.

“Lying to the boyfriend already?” Chloe asked.

“It’s not like I can tell him the truth,” Clark pointed out. “He’d freak . . .” Clark shook his head. “I don’t know how I could’ve believed I can get into another relationship . . . the cycle has started again.”

“Clark, don’t doubt your instincts now,” Chloe said quickly. “I’m sure you’ll get over this . . . you two are still new. Don’t give up on what has barely even started.”

“I guess you’re right,” Clark said. Truth be told, he really liked Oliver and wasn’t willing to part with him just yet. He really wanted to see where this relationship was going . . . he could already tell Oliver was different than Lana.

Maybe, in due time, he would even be able to tell the blonde his secret. But he had to take it a day at a time. Something he hadn’t done before but he was ready to try.

Chloe smiled, ready to say something but her cell phone cut her off.

She glanced at the ID and smiled. “It’s Lois,” she told Clark and he nodded understandingly.

“Lois hey,” she said. Suddenly her expression changed and she quickly turned to Clark. “Clark, she’s in trouble.”

His eyes widened and he quickly got out of the Planet, heading at full speed to Lois’ apartment. Entering, he found he was too late . . . the cell phone on the ground was the only sign that Lois had been there.

There was a knock on the door and his boyfriend’s familiar voice filled the room.

“Lois?”

Looking up at Oliver, he frowned. “Looks like someone took her,” he said.

“Took her?” Oliver repeated, “What are you talking about? Who would do that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Clark stated. “The Green Arrow.”

Oliver turned his back to Clark. “What makes you think he’d have anything to do with this?”

Clark scoffed. “He’s wanted all over town for armed robbery,” Clark reminded him. “Lois is the one who publicly threatened to unmask the guy. I guess he doesn’t live by a code of honor.”

“Because it’s not the same as yours?” Oliver challenged, spinning suddenly. Brown eyes met green and Clark was taken aback at the bitterness in Oliver’s tone.

“Maybe,” Oliver went on. “If you were as interested in finding out about this guy as you were in catching him, you would’ve realized that everything he’s stolen so far has been bought off the black market.”

“You’re saying Lionel’s necklace is . . .?” Clark trailed off.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what’s I’m saying,” Oliver responded. “You’ve been on this hunt to return it to its original thief.”

Clark pressed his lips together. “You think Lionel took her?”

“I think there are a lot of people out there that would go to any length to catch the Green Arrow,” Oliver told him.

A part of him was wondering why Oliver was defending the Green Arrow so strongly. It was confusing but before he could ask, his cell phone went off.

Oliver’s did too. “I gotta go,” Oliver muttered but Clark wasn’t paying attention, too busy picking up his own phone call, even more focused when he saw his best friend’s name on the caller ID.

“Chloe,” he said, “It’s too late. There’s no sign of her.”

“Well,” Chloe’s voice came from the other end. “I might have something that will help . . . the image of the ring finally rendered and I’m sending it to you right now.” There was a beeping and Clark saw the image, the blood draining from his face, and he was immensely relieved this was a phone conversation.

“It’s a family crest,” Chloe continued, “the only problem is ye old crest-makers weren’t very creative. I mean, there’s thousands of them and they’re all practically identical. It’s going to take me a while to track this one down.”

“I’ve seen this before,” Clark managed to say.

And he sped off, ignoring Chloe’s voice calling out his name repeatedly.

He reached his destination within minutes . . . Oliver Queen’s penthouse. Entering into the main living room and his eyes fell upon the crest that he saw in the picture Chloe sent him.

Switching to x-ray vision, he scanned the room and his eyes fell upon a particular area. The huge clock was apparently a sliding door and using a bit of force, he pushed it apart. Behind the door was a huge assortment of archery equipment and gadgets. He walked in slowly and approached a table, where several newspaper articles detailing the exploits of the Green Arrow laid.

On an overhead monitor, he saw a locator, which was tracking the location of a SafeTex vehicle.

How could he have not seen this coming? His new boyfriend . . . the Green Arrow. He _knew_ he had seen that smirk before and that explained why Ollie was so protective of the Green Arrow. It also explained why he sounded so off on the phone.

Clark groaned . . . this was going to get complicated fast. What was he going to do?

Well, he knew what his immediate course of action was and that was to make sure that Lois was okay.

To his surprise, he found both Lois and Oliver together, him decked out in his Green Arrow gear. He was relieved she was okay . . . apparently, Oliver had managed to save her. But his relief was temporary when he noticed Lois was dangerously close to unmasking Oliver.

Though he didn’t want to do it, he couldn’t let his boyfriend be exposed so he aimed his heat vision at the lights, knocking them out one by one. The darkness allowed the Green Arrow to escape and Clark too sped away after taking one last look at the scene.

Standing in the middle of the road, he waited patiently as Oliver’s motorbike made its way to him. The motorbike stopped in front of him.

“Oliver Queen,” Clark said slowly. “You owe me one.”

The figure froze and removed his helmet, and he was met with the brown eyes of his boyfriend. At least, he thought he was his boyfriend . . . he didn’t know where they stood and he was a little too nervous to ask.

“That was you on the roof?” Oliver asked, completely oblivious to his thought process. Clark didn’t say anything, just stared at him.

“Why’d you let me get away?” Oliver questioned.

Clark raised an arrow and handed it to him. “I’m not sure Lois would understand why her new friend leads a double life,” he said seriously.

“Or why one of her other best friends does the same thing?” Oliver retorted, taking the arrow. “I think we’re even.” Oliver dropped his gaze, putting the arrow away.

“We’ll be even when you return what you stole from Lionel,” Clark said calmly, effectively gaining his attention once more.

Clark wanted to say more, ask more questions but instead, he just turned around and walked away, knowing that Oliver’s eyes were trained on him the entire time.

Finding an isolated area, he supersped back home. He was miserable . . . he may have gotten answers but in the process, he had lost his boyfriend.

Why would Oliver want to be with him anymore? He wasn’t normal . . . he had seen him have crazy abilities . . . nobody would want to be with someone like him.

Clark entered his loft and reflected on the past couple of days. He thought it could be different this time around but it would never be different. Even if Oliver and he had a chance, Oliver would have questions . . . questions he couldn’t answer just yet.

He was only hoping that Oliver would keep what he had seen to himself. Otherwise, he would be in even bigger trouble. Granted, he had Oliver’s secret in his hands too but his was so much more dangerous.

But he knew that he would never reveal Oliver’s secret to anyone, including Chloe. _Chloe._ Clark groaned when he realized that she had the photos . . . but if he was lucky, she hadn’t analyzed them just yet.

Clark knew what he had to do, no matter how much he abhorred the idea.

He waited until everyone was gone and then snuck into the Daily Planet and found his best friend’s computer easily. Hacking in was not as hard as he thought and soon, all her files of the ring were deleted. And he got rid of the back-ups too.

Though he was completely sickened with himself, he knew that this was just a necessary step. _I’m sorry, Chloe._ He knew what it was like to keep a secret and he just couldn’t betray Oliver’s.

Once at home again, he went straight to bed. The phone calls didn’t stop and he ended up just switching of his phone. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone.

Right now, he wanted to forget and just get some sleep.

He was probably overreacting. Oliver hadn’t said anything yet . . . he knew he should talk to him before making any assumptions or rash decisions but he didn’t have the courage to confront him just yet.

So he’d do it in the morning, if he got the nerve.

_You’re lying._ He probably was . . . he was never good at talking about his powers.

Maybe some people were just meant to be alone. With that thought, he closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

_Damn you Kent, pick up._ Oliver glared at his phone as yet another call went to the answering machine. Before it had rung . . . now it just went straight to the voicemail, making Oliver believe Clark had switched off his phone.

It was late . . . he should really be in bed. But Clark had left so suddenly and he needed to hear the brunette’s voice. Not once did Clark ask about their relationship and Oliver desperately wanted to find out where they stood.

To find out that Clark had these powers just made him more amazing in his eyes but he didn’t know how Clark felt about him being the Green Arrow. He didn’t seem to approve of his alter ego.

_He still saved you from Lois though._ That thought alone comforted him but it wasn’t good enough. He really liked Clark . . . and he didn’t want to lose him because of this.

_There’s no point in wasting your time . . . he obviously needs time. Get some sleep and confront him in the morning._

That was exactly what he would do. Clark didn’t seem like the confrontation type but he handled confrontations just fine. He wanted answers and he was going to get them . . . from Clark. If the brunette didn’t want to talk about his abilities, fine.

He wanted to know about their _relationship_ and he was not going to be left hanging.

Pleased with himself, he slipped into bed. Tomorrow, he would get some answers.

And hoped that by the end of the day, he’d still have a boyfriend.  



	8. Chapter 8

  
Morning came far too soon for Clark’s liking. But as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn’t avoid the world.

So he got up and got ready. He did, however, prolong venturing out of the farm. His chores were done slower than usual and he was relieved his mother wasn’t around to witness his odd behavior. Because he didn’t want to lie to his mom but in this case, the truth behind his moody behavior just wasn’t possible.

When he finally gathered up the nerve to check his cell phone, he was shocked to see that the missed calls weren’t from Chloe but from Oliver too. In fact, most of the missed calls were from Oliver. Who happened to leave several messages on his voicemail too, each one more frustrated than the last.

Why would Oliver be trying to reach him though? He sounded almost frantic in the last message. _Probably he wants to make sure that you don’t spill his secret._

Even though that was most likely the right answer, he couldn’t help but hope that Oliver may be trying to salvage their relationship.

_Come on, Kent . . . don’t be so idealistic. You were together for a couple of days and you haven’t even been out on an official date. He’s Oliver Queen . . . he could have anyone in the world. Why would he be sitting around pining for you?_

He hated the cruelty of his subconscious and hated it even more because it spoke the truth.

Pushing thoughts of Oliver away temporarily, Clark decided that he had to go pay his best friend a visit. He knew that she worried about him and mentally chastised himself for not calling her sooner.

The Daily Planet was full of life when he got there. Reporters were running around frantically. It was usually busy but today, it was more crazier than usual.

Finding his best friend in the crowd, he made his way to her.

“Chloe, what’s all the buzz?” he asked.

“Seven stolen artifacts were anonymously returned to the Met, the Tate and the Louvre,” Chloe informed him, while searching through some files. “Looks like you’ve got some friendly competition in the knight-in-shining-armor arena.”

“This guy does a couple good things, and he goes from villain to hero overnight?” Clark asked incredulously.

“Clark, every time he strikes some corrupt tycoon,” Chloe responded, “An anonymous donation to some charity mysteriously appears the next day.”

“You don’t care how many laws are broken to get it there?” Clark demanded. Oliver’s methods were shady and no matter how much good he may be doing, Clark didn’t like the means of which he was willing to go to.

“Well, I guess that’s just the price of justice,” Chloe said, shrugging. “I mean, if you ask me, he’s a modern-day Robin Hood.” She grinned. “That still doesn’t mean I’m not dying to find out who he is, though.” Clark watched guiltily as she made her way to her computer.

“Oh hey,” she said suddenly. “I never heard back from you after I sent you the picture of that crest.”

“I kind of ran into a dead end,” he lied.

“That’s funny,” Chloe said, her eyes on her computer screen. “So did I. All of my files on the ring are gone . . . including the backup files.” Clark turned away, not wanting to face her. He could feel her staring at him though. “Clark?”

He turned and met her gaze. “Just don’t look into him, Chloe.”

Chloe gasped. “You know who he is, don’t you?” she asked, smiling.

“As a favor to me,” Clark pleaded. “Please don’t.”

“And he knows who you are,” Chloe concluded. His best friend always had been too smart for her own good. “Well, I guess there’s some sort of secret code of honor among superheroes.”

Clark didn’t really like being put in the same category as the Green Arrow but he figured that the guy had saved Lois. He couldn’t be all that bad . . . and besides, he was certain _Oliver_ was a good person.

“I’m sorry,” he couldn’t help saying. “I didn’t want to do . . . that.”

“Clark, you know better than anyone what it’s like to keep a secret,” Chloe replied warmly. “I don’t blame you for wanting to keep his . . . I’m not upset.”

“Thanks, Chloe,” Clark said, extremely grateful for his understanding best friend. He must’ve done something good for the fates to give him Chloe Sullivan as his best friend.

“You’re more than welcome, Clark,” Chloe replied. She smiled. “So how’s that boyfriend of yours?”

Clark’s heart clenched. “I haven’t actually talked to him,” he admitted.

“You should,” Chloe advised. “I mean, he doesn’t know about your heroic tendencies . . . he may be wondering where you disappeared to.”

_I doubt it._ “Yeah, you’re right,” Clark agreed. “But I’ll talk to him later . . . if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend some time with my best friend. Got some free time to go for lunch?”

Chloe beamed. “I definitely have some free time. Let’s go.”

Chloe grabbed her purse and the two of them left together. For a little longer, he would avoid Oliver . . . they’d talk eventually. Just not right now.

Unbeknownst to him, while he was in Metropolis with Chloe, Oliver was spending time searching Smallville for him.

After checking the farm to find it empty, Oliver headed to the Talon. Clark was usually hanging out with Lois or Chloe and they lived in the apartment above the popular hangout. So it seemed logical that he would be there.

While he didn’t find Clark, he did run into Lois, who invited him for a cup of coffee. She seemed bouncy so he decided he couldn’t turn her down. When they were seated with their drinks, he was given the reason for her cheerfulness.

She handed him the day’s edition of the Inquisitor, the front-page article’s title being “Kidnapped by the Green Arrow”. But it was the byline that was the important part. Reported by Lois Lane.

“What do we have here?” Oliver said, smiling.

“Yeah,” Lois said, “Not bad for a rookie, huh?”

“That’s really incredible,” Oliver commented. “You know you have every newspaper in the country calling this guy the Green Arrow.” He lifted his head to meet her eyes. “He’s got a real following.”

“Yeah, well, so did Charles Manson,” Lois noted.

Oliver paused and tried to find the right words. “I know this is a rare moment for you, but maybe you’re overreacting,” he told her. “It’s not like this guy’s a killer.”

Lois didn’t even flinch though. “Ollie,” she said calmly. “He’s a threat to Metropolis, and I’m not gonna stop until I find out who he is. Trust me. You don’t know the Green Arrow like I do.” She stood up and walked off, presumably to get more coffee.

Oliver kept his expression neutral but was inwardly frowning. _If you only knew Lois._ But he was really glad she didn’t. He really didn’t want to picture her reaction if she had found out last night that he was the one behind the glasses.

_Thank God for Clark._ Clark . . . who he still hadn’t heard from. He was a little annoyed at the avoidance tactic. What did Clark think he was going to do? Expose him to the world?

_He thinks I’m going to tell everyone about his powers._ The realization hit like a ton of bricks and it hurt. That was why Clark was avoiding him . . . Oliver couldn’t believe it. Did he really think so low of Ollie’s character?

_Unless he has had some bad experiences in the past to confirm that nobody can be trusted._ Oliver was saddened by this idea but more determined than ever to see Clark and assure him that his secret was safe with him.

Lois returned with more coffee and took her seat. “So Ollie,” she said, “Not that I’m not thrilled with the company but why are you here?”

“I was actually looking for Clark,” Oliver confessed. “I can’t seem to reach him by phone so I thought he may be around. He wasn’t at the farm either.”

“He’s probably at the Planet,” Lois replied.

“The Planet?” Oliver echoed.

“With Chloe,” Lois explained. “The two of them are inseparable . . . either he’s with her or she knows where he is.”

Oliver felt a sudden surge of jealousy. He was yet to meet the elusive Chloe Sullivan, Lois’ cousin and Clark’s best friend, but she seemed too close to his boyfriend for his own liking. And since he hadn’t met her, it was worse because he couldn’t even size her up.

“Clark and Chloe are close then,” he said lightly, trying not to betray any of his underlying anxiety. _I wonder if Chloe knows about his powers._

“Yeah, they’re best friends,” Lois said. Noticing his expression, she added, “But they’re just friends . . . I know it sounds crazy but they’re completely platonic. I mean, there were feelings once but there hasn’t been for a while.”

“I’m not worried,” he said, lying smoothly.

Lois smirked. “Sure you’re not . . . either way, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Okay, Lois,” Oliver replied, with a grin. He acted as if the news meant nothing to him but he was cheering on the inside. Clark didn’t have feelings for Chloe.

Hopefully, he still wanted to be with him. And there was only one way to find out.

It was evening before Clark made it back to his farm and he still hadn’t spoken with Oliver. He felt bad for avoiding the blonde like he was but running away from a problem was more his style than taking it head on. It was a bad habit of his but it was one he couldn’t seem to quite break.

Making his way up the stairs to his loft, he froze when he reached the top. Because sitting comfortably behind the desk was none other than the man he had been avoiding.

“I didn’t realize I was such a fascinating subject,” Oliver commented. He waved the newspaper. “You’ve been reading up on me. You and Lois ought to start a fan club.” Oliver clasped his hands together, not seeming the least inclined to move.

“You gonna tell her?” Clark questioned, making his way toward the older man.

“I don’t know, Clark,” Oliver said. Gesturing to his surroundings, he added, “You know, you seem to be doing a pretty good job skating by with this farm-boy charade.”

“Were you going to ever tell me?” Clark asked.

“I think the question works both ways,” Oliver noted. “Were you?”

“Maybe . . . eventually,” Clark said.

“I could give you the same answer,” Oliver responded.

“But would it be the truth?” Clark wanted to know. He sighed. “You can’t really be with someone unless they know who you are . . . trust me, I’ve tried.”

“You lost her to Lex,” Oliver deduced. He didn’t say anything but his silence was answer enough. Oliver stood up suddenly, his 6’3” frame matching Clark’s.

“What is it about me that bothers you Clark?” Oliver asked. “Because you seem uncomfortable around me now and I don’t understand. Do you think I’m just another silver-spoon-fed rich boy? Or is it because I’m not willing to play the martyr like you?”

“I don’t understand,” Clark said, puzzled.

“You seem to isolate yourself,” Oliver observed. “And I’m assuming that’s because you’re afraid to get too close to anyone, should they discover your powers . . . I don’t do that. I wanted you from the moment I saw you, Clark and I had no qualms about going after you. You must’ve seen that by the way I asked you out when you came to drop off those papers.”

“But we’re not talking about us,” Clark interjected before he could go further. “We’re talking about your friendship with Lois. She seems to like and trust you . . . and if you keep playing these games, sooner or later, you’re going to hurt her. You know that.”

“Well you seem to have all the answers,” Oliver noted. He reached into his jacket and pulled out Lionel’s necklace. “So I guess it’s a good thing I’ve decided to put this in safer hands.” He handed him the necklace and Clark took it. Oliver then walked past him, heading toward the steps. “For the record, Lionel bought that off a notorious Bosnian warlord . . . used it to launder Luthorcorp money,” he finished.

“So why give it to me?” Clark asked. This stopped Oliver in his tracks and he turned to meet Clark’s gaze.

“Well, you seem to have a crystal-clear idea of what’s right and what’s wrong,” Oliver said. “You decide who it belongs to.”

“It’s not as clear as it used to be,” Clark confessed. He was confused . . . he was so used to the world being black and white that finding out that it was actually mostly gray was difficult.

“You really think it’s right to steal, as long as it goes to a good cause?” Clark asked.

“That the end justifies the means?” Oliver said, giving him a hard stare. “Absolutely yes.”

“I’ll never feel the way,” Clark declared. He knew that much for certain. Oliver’s expression remained unchanged but he didn’t leave either.

Glancing between the necklace and the blonde, Clark remembered Oliver’s words from the previous night.

“You said you didn’t owe me one,” Clark said. “So why are you really here?”

Oliver closed the distance between them. “Clark, you have abilities I couldn’t even dream of. And I admire that you use them to save the people you’re close to.”

“But?” Clark persisted. He had a feeling the older man wasn’t done.

He was right.

“But there’s a whole world of people out there Clark,” Oliver stated, “They need us. With your potential . . . you can’t wait for them to come to you.” He paused. “When you’re ready to do something about that . . . you let me know.”

“It’s complicated, Oliver,” Clark said slowly. “It’s not that I don’t want to do more . . . at this point of my life, I can’t.”

“It’s an open-ended offer,” Oliver was quick to say. “Whenever you’re ready . . . I’ll be waiting.” He watched Oliver take a deep breath. “And if there were any doubts, I won’t share what I’ve learned to anybody . . . you have my word. Your secrets are safe.”

“As are yours,” Clark replied. “I haven’t told anybody about you.”

“I appreciate that, Clark,” Oliver responded. There was a silence, where both were feeling awkward, knowing that while they have taken care of a major issue, they weren’t done yet. But the next topic was a little more difficult to approach.

Oliver must’ve realized his unwillingness to speak because the blonde immediately took the initiative.

“Clark, I want to know where we stand,” he said.

“As in our relationship?” Clark questioned. “I don’t know . . . what do you want to do?”

“I want you,” Oliver replied. “I want to go on an actual date . . . because we’ve yet to have gone on one. We haven’t known each other very long but I really like where we’re going.”

“Me too,” Clark said shyly. He met Oliver’s eyes. “You aren’t . . . you aren’t scared? Of me?”

“Should I be?” Oliver asked, visibly confused.

“I have these abilities,” Clark reminded him. “I just . . . I was worried you may think I’m a freak or something.” He looked away, unable to meet Oliver’s eyes.

“Hey,” Oliver said. He felt gentle hands cup his face and once again, he was staring into chocolate brown eyes.

“You are completely off base,” Oliver said. “You have no idea what I think of you. Amazing? Yes. Gorgeous? Absolutely. Kind-hearted? Definitely. But freak? Not a chance.”

Clark blushed. “I really didn’t know what to think.”

“Now you know what I think,” Oliver said. “But can you be with me despite my extracurricular activities? Despite not approving of how I do things?”

“I can,” Clark said confidently. “We don’t have to agree . . . we can agree to disagree on those matters. It’s not important. What is important is that I like you . . . and you like me. I want to be in a relationship too.”

“Then we’re on the same page,” Oliver replied, giving him a winning smile. Clark felt a ton better . . . Oliver still wanted to be with him. This may work out after all.

“You were saying something about a date?” Clark said, grinning.

“I was,” Oliver agreed. “Would you like to go out to on a date with me, Clark Kent?”

“I would,” Clark replied.

“Then I’ll call you soon,” Oliver said, making a motion for the steps.

“Or,” Clark said, “You could stay for a while . . . if you don’t have anywhere else to be, that is.”

Oliver smiled and shook his head. “Nowhere to be . . . I can stay.”

“Good,” Clark said, and taking his hand, led him to the couch.

Where they were both able to relax and just talk. It was nice . . . and Clark felt more comfortable with Oliver than he had ever felt with anyone before.

It didn’t hurt that Oliver was an amazing kisser too.

He had taken a leap of faith but from what he could see, it was well worth it.

This was definitely going to work out.

Clark couldn’t wait to see where it went. 


End file.
